PLAYED AT: R.J. Lalonde Arena
Date: Dec 15, 2018
GAME NOTES: U.S. OUTLASTS WEST IN OT, ADVANCES TO WJAC FINAL
JASON LA ROSE
BONNYVILLE, Alta. – Griffin Ness converted a breakaway 7:35 into overtime, giving the United States a 3-2 semifinal win over Canada West on Saturday night and a place in the gold medal game at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge.
The U.S. will face Russia on Sunday afternoon (4 p.m. MT, TSN), one win away from its eighth gold medal, and second in Bonnyville – it claimed the 2016 title in northeastern Alberta.
With the teams going end to end in a non-stop overtime period, Ness took a stretch pass from Jack Malone and raced away from the Canadian defence before beating goaltender Matthew Davis (Calgary, Alta./Spruce Grove, AJHL) past the blocker.
It marked the second time in a week that the two teams required extra time; West earned a 2-1 shootout win in the tournament opener for both last Sunday.
The Americans came out like a house on fire in the semifinal, striking for a pair of goals in the first seven minutes to quiet the pro-Canadian crowd at the R.J. Lalonde Arena.
Josh Nodler got it started at 4:31, cleaning up a loose puck in front after Robert Mastrosimone stickhandled his way to the front of the net, and Ronnie Attard one-timed a cross-ice feed from Bobby Brink past Davis at 6:08.
West had its opportunities in the second period, but it took until the 16:40 mark to break through; just seconds after he had the puck roll off his stick on a mini-breakaway down low, Mathieu Gosselin (Quebec City, Que./Merritt, BCHL) banked a shot off U.S. netminder Blake Pietila from behind the net to get the Canadians within one after 40 minutes.
Alexander Campbell (Châteauguay, Que./Victoria, BCHL) needed just 1:49 of the third period to get West even, sneaking behind the American defence and slipping a backhand five-hole on Pietila to make it 2-2.
The teams traded chances the rest of the way, but neither could find the winner in regulation.
The Canadians still have a chance to leave with a medal; they take on the Czech Republic for bronze on Sunday afternoon (12 p.m. MT, TSN). |
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 | Davis, Matthew | | G | 31 | Radomsky, Matthew | | | 2 | Bucheler, Jérémie | | | 3 | Snell, Mason | | | 4 | Judson, Jack | | | 5 | Bast, Luke | | | 6 | Berger, Carter | | | 7 | Lloyd, T.J. | | | 8 | Ahac, Layton | | | 10 | Funk, Reilly | | | 11 | Campbell, Alexander | | | 12 | Gosselin, Mathieu | | | 15 | Holloway, Dylan | | | 16 | Blaisdell, Harrison | | | 17 | Hughes, Riley | | | 18 | Rizzo, Massimo | | | 19 | Wong, Austin | | | 20 | Silye, David | | | 21 | Leyh, Ethan | | | 22 | Newhook, Alex | | | 23 | Osadick, Matt | | | 24 | Swetlikoff, Alex |
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CANADA WEST PENALTIES
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| Per. |
No. |
Min |
Offence |
Off |
PP |
PS |
Start |
On |
| 2nd | 21 | 2:00 | Cross-Checking | 4:18 | 1 | | 6:18 | | | 2nd | 19 | 2:00 | Boarding | 12:37 | 1 | | 14:37 | | | 2nd | 19 | 10:00 | 10-Minute Misconduct | 12:37 | | | 5:06 | | | 2nd | 7 | 2:00 | Delay of Game | 18:13 | 1 | | 0:13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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UNITED STATES LINEUP
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| Pos |
No. |
Name |
| G | 1 | Pietila, Blake | | G | 30 | Saville, Isaiah | | | 2 | Attard, Ronnie | | | 3 | Johnson, Luke | | | 4 | Frisch, Ethan | | | 5 | Jones, Zac | | | 6 | Mitchell, Travis | | | 7 | Johnson, Ryan | | | 8 | Janicke, Trevor | | | 9 | Caponi, Connor | | | 10 | Brink, Bobby | | | 11 | Pinto, Shane | | | 12 | Ford, Parker | | | 14 | Malone, Jack | | | 15 | O'Reilly, Ryan | | | 16 | Brown, Matt | | | 17 | Mastrosimone, Robert | | | 18 | Kiefiuk, Cal | | | 20 | Nodler, Josh | | | 22 | Ness, Griffin | | | 23 | Silianoff, Grant | | | 24 | Miller, Mitchell |
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UNITED STATES PENALTIES
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| Per. |
No. |
Min |
Offence |
Off |
PP |
PS |
Start |
On |
| 1st | 18 | 2:00 | Hooking | 6:29 | 1 | | 8:29 | | | 3rd | 3 | 2:00 | High-Sticking | 8:53 | 1 | | 10:53 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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