WJAC Day 3 Recap

USA takes Swiss 9-0 . CANW loses to Czech 4-3

Day 3 of the World Jr A Challenge brought some challenges for the Switzerland team, as they lost out to the Americans 9-0. The Swiss will meet Team Canada West in the consolation 5th place match on Friday at 3:30 pm, after Canada West lost out, in a shootout, in a close 4-3 battle against the Czech Republic.

Thursday at the RJ Lalonde Arena in Bonnyville USA and Russia will fight for a spot in the finals, in the early 3:30 pm game, then it’ll be the Czechs against the other Canadian squad, Team Canada East for a final spot. The losers of both matches will play out the late game on Friday; while the winners will take a by until Saturday’s finals.

 

USA vs Switzerland

The Americans dominated the 3:30 pm game at the RJ Lalonde Arena on Wednesday, leading the charge with a goal at the 2:41 mark in the first from Clayton Phillips. That was quickly followed up by a power play goal from Zach Solow, while Swiss’ Gianluca Burger was sitting out for a holding call. Team USA’s Hank Crone and Brannon McManus each put in a goal, before the close of the first, to make it a 4-0 game leading into the second.

Chris Berger lead the first of three American goals in the second period, at 54 seconds in. Ethen Frank followed up a holding penalty with a goal, and Tarek Baker made it a 7-0 game at the end of 40 minutes for the Americans.

Alex Limoges got a power play during a roughing penalty on Swiss’ Yannick Brunner and Mick Messner got the ninth and final goal for the Americans with just over two minutes left in the game.

LSC Industrial Post-Game Show with Team USA Head Coach Jay Varady!

Canada West Vs Czech Republic

The most dramatic game, thus far, at the WJAC has got to be the Czech-Canada West game. A movie style, one second left on the clock goal from the Czechs forced extra time and then a shootout; which ended in the Czech Republic’s favour.

The Czech Republic came out blazing at Wednesday’s game versus the crowd favourite, Team Canada West. Radovan Pavlik opened fire at 7:16 and the team never looked back. Daniel Kurovsky advanced the Czech to the danger zone, two-goal lead scoring on the power play, while Joseph Nardi sat out a goaltender interference call.

The Czechs carried the intensity into the second period, where they were able to hold off the Canadians on the scoreboard; but not in the box. Starting with a scuffle at the 3:29 mark that resulting in two Canadians taking the box, Desi Burgart for a hit to the head and Jonny Tychonick 10 minute misconduct. The Czech had their fair share of bad boys throughout the period; Pavel Kousal (tripping), Daniel Kurovsky (slashing), Ondrej Kachyna (holding), and a double penalty at 19:40 for Tomas Havranek & Ondrej Prochazka (crosschecking). Despite many power plays, the Canadians were unsuccessful in getting a goal, until the third.

Captain of Team Canada West, Cale Maker, broke out on the power play, with the help of Carter Turnbull and Ian Mitchell, to score 14 seconds into the final period. Only 20 seconds later, a true crowd pleaser, as Jordan Kawaguchi followed with a power play goal for Team Canada West, thanks to Cale Makar, Carter Turnbull. The crowd roared with excitement as a minute into the game the ‘home team’ had tied it up.

A series of penalties followed, with the Canadians taking advantage of the extra man at 14:44 to get the go-ahead, from Carter Turnbull. The Czech’s then managed to upset the crowd with 1 second left on the clock, when Tomas Havranek forced extra time.

After extra time wasn’t enough to seal the deal for either team, the game went to a five-round shootout; which only saw one successful shot and that came from #22 for the Czech’s Kristian Reichel, closing the game 4-3.

Shootout

 

Cale Maker & Rick Swan Post Game thanks to LSC Industrial

Coverage continues at the World Jr A Challenge, thanks to LSC Industrial.