PLAYED AT: Cobourg Community Centre
Date: Dec 15, 2015
GAME NOTES: CANADA WEST SNAPS U.S. WIN STREAK, BOOKS SPOT IN WJAC SEMIFINALS
JASON LA ROSE
COBOURG, Ont. – Liam Finlay (Kelowna, B.C./Vernon, BCHL) scored the game-winning goal three minutes into the third period, leading Canada West past the United States 3-2 in the Group B finale on Tuesday night at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge.
The win snaps the Americans’ record 14-game winning streak, the longest in tournament history, and sends the Canadians directly to the semifinals; they face the winner of the Canada East-Czech Republic quarter-final Thursday night in Cobourg (7 p.m. ET).
Noah Bauld (Halifax, N.S./Lloydminster, AJHL) and Brett Orr (Elkhorn, Man./Portage, MJHL) had the other goals for Canada West, which beat the U.S. for just the second time in seven all-time meetings.
The Canadians struck first late in a fast-paced opening period; Bauld picked up a loose puck while shorthanded and kept on a two-on-one, going to the backhand to beat American goaltender Kris Oldham.
Orr doubled the advantage just seconds past the midway mark of the middle frame, pinching in, taking a feed from Tyson Jost (Kelowna, B.C./Penticton, BCHL) and going top shelf over Oldham’s short-side shoulder.
Liam Pecararo got one back for the Americans only 62 seconds into the third period, gathering in a fortuitous bounce off the end boards and beating Canadian netminder Matthew Murray (St. Albert, Alta./Spruce Grove, AJHL), but Finlay reignited the capacity crowd of more than 2,300 at the Cobourg Community Centre just two minutes later, skating onto a chip pass from Jost and tucking the puck around Oldham.
Chase Pearson made it a one-goal game again at 5:49, jamming in a loose puck after Murray couldn’t control a rebound, but that would be it for scoring, despite a combined 29 shots on goal in the final period.
Overall, the Americans finished with a 32-29 advantage in shots, and both teams went scoreless on three power-play opportunities.
The U.S. will be back in action Wednesday night, welcoming Switzerland to Cobourg for a quarter-final match-up (7 p.m. ET). The winner of that game will face Group B winner Russia in a Thursday semifinal in Whitby. |
Visiting Team: Canada West
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Home Team: United States
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CANADA WEST LINEUP
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| Pos |
No. |
Name |
| G | 1 | Didur, Bo | | G | 31 | Murray, Matthew | | | 3 | Stewart, Dean | | | 4 | Orr, Brett | | | 5 | Bear, Shane | | | 6 | Pasichnuk, Brinson | | | 7 | Makar, Cale | | | 8 | Fabbro, Dante | | | 9 | Cholowski, Dennis | | | 10 | Jost, Tyson | | | 11 | Finlay, Liam | | | 12 | McMann, Bobby | | | 14 | Fregona, Justin | | | 15 | Hayward, Blake | | | 16 | Biro, Brandon | | | 17 | Busch, Tyler | | | 18 | Turnbull, Carter | | | 19 | Maltby, Tyler | | | 20 | Van Tetering, Troy | | | 21 | Nardi, Joseph | | | 23 | Bauld, Noah | | | 29 | Betts, Kyle |
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CANADA WEST PENALTIES
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| Per. |
No. |
Min |
Offence |
Off |
PP |
PS |
Start |
On |
| 1st | 31 | 2:00 | Tripping minor | 4:25 | 1 | | 4:25 | 17:35 | | 1st | 19 | 2:00 | (auto) Head Contact minor | 10:43 | 1 | | 10:43 | 11:17 | | 1st | 19 | 10:00 | (auto) Head Contact misconduct | 10:43 | | | 10:43 | 19:17 | | 1st | 12 | 2:00 | Roughing minor | 16:47 | 1 | | 16:47 | 5:13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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UNITED STATES LINEUP
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| Pos |
No. |
Name |
| G | 1 | Bednard, Ryan | | G | 30 | Oldham, Kris | | | 2 | Ahcan, Jack | | | 4 | Marino, John | | | 5 | Zuhlsdorf, Ryan | | | 6 | Zimmer, Max | | | 7 | Ford, Keegan | | | 8 | Reinke, Mitch | | | 9 | Peeke, Andrew | | | 10 | Laczynski, Tanner | | | 11 | Burke, Callahan | | | 12 | Young, Spenser | | | 14 | Wilkins, Josh | | | 15 | Jozefek, Grant | | | 16 | Pitlick, Rem | | | 17 | Peters, Collin | | | 18 | Meyer, Carson | | | 19 | Pecararo, Liam | | | 20 | Wahlin, Jake | | | 21 | Pearson, Chase | | | 22 | Colton, Ross | | | 24 | Knierim, William |
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UNITED STATES PENALTIES
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| Per. |
No. |
Min |
Offence |
Off |
PP |
PS |
Start |
On |
| 1st | 16 | 2:00 | (auto) Hooking minor | 8:09 | 1 | | 8:09 | 13:51 | | 3rd | 20 | 2:00 | (auto) Goaltender Interference minor | 9:56 | 1 | | 9:56 | 12:04 | | 3rd | 19 | 2:00 | (auto) Hooking minor | 16:35 | 1 | | 16:35 | 5:25 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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