Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Team USA's Quinn Hughes fired a shot from the high slot past the glove of Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Markstrom in overtime Wednesday to give the Americans a 2-1 victory over the Swedes and send them into the men's Olympic hockey semifinals in Milan, Italy.
The shifty defenseman has been a force all tournament with four assists from the back end heading into Wednesday's quarterfinal game between the United States and Sweden. But his most important moment of the tournament, possibly of his young career, came less than 3:30 into three-on-three overtime against the Swedes.
With the United States pressing, Hughes entered Sweden's end. He skated the puck down the left boards before passing back to forward Matt Boldy at the point. Boldy then sent it back to Hughes who worked his way to the blue line.
After taking a long swoop at the top of the zone, Hughes stepped into the high slot, leaned on his stick, and let off a missile of a shot that beat Markstrom, ranging off the left post and in.
Team USA cleared the bench and mobbed Hughes against the boards in the neutral zone.
