Friday, November 12, 2010

CANADA EAST HOLD OFF LATE RUSSIAN RALLY, ADVANCES TO SEMIS

Press Release

PENTICTON, B.C. – Matthew Peca and Evan Rodrigues scored 42 seconds apart late in the second period to give Canada East a 4-0 lead, and the Canadians held off a late rally to score a 4-3 quarter-final win over Russia on Thursday and advance to the semifinals at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge.

Canada East will face Group B winner Switzerland in a final four match-up on Saturday.

Matt Chiarantano and Zach Hyman also scored for Canada East, which advanced to the semifinals for the fifth time in as many appearances at the tournament, while the Russians, bronze medallists last year in Summerside, P.E.I., will play for fifth place on Friday night (7:30 p.m. PT) against the loser of Thursday’s late quarter-final between Canada West and Sweden.

The Canadian side caught an early break to open the scoring, as Chiarantano’s shorthanded clearing attempt from his own zone hit a partition on the glass and skipped past Russian goaltender Denis Perevozchikov.

Hyman made it 2-0 early in the second period, slipping a backhand behind Perevozchikov, and Peca and Rodrigues gave the Canadians a seemingly commanding lead with goals less than a minute apart, chasing Perevozchikov from the goal.

But the Russian comeback started at 17:53 with a Roman Konkov goal, and Mikhail Grigorenko scored 26 seconds into the third period and again at 8:20 to make it a one-goal game and set up a wild finish.

Canada East netminder Jordan Ruby stole the show in the late going, making a number of game-saving stops to ensure he’ll get a second crack at the semifinals – he was part of the East team that was embarrassed 9-1 by Canada West in last year’s semis.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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