Ontario to play for 5th place at WU17
Team Ontario suffered a disappointing loss on Thursday night at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge falling 6-2 to the United States in Sydney, NS.
A win would have lifted Ontario to the Semi-Finals but instead their 2-1-0-1 record in preliminary play leaves them in third place in the Group B standings where they will play for fifth place against Team Sweden on Friday afternoon.
Ontario jumped out to the lead against the Americans led by Dylan Strome (Erie Otters) who scored the game’s opening goal at 13:54 with his team-high eighth point of the tournament. Mitchell Marner (London Knights) and Garrett McFadden (Guelph Storm) picked up the assists.
Trailing 2-1 after two periods, Brett McKenzie (North Bay Battalion) tied the game at 1:33 of the third period to give Ontario some life. Matthew Spencer (Peterborough Petes) and Mitchell Stephens (Saginaw Spirit) collected the assists.
The United States responded with four unanswered goals including the shorthanded game-winner at 10:56 of the third.
Ontario was outshot 54-24 in the game with Ottawa 67’s draft pick Ben Blacker turning aside 48 shots.
The United States finished first in Ontario’s Group B standings and will crossover to play Team Quebec in the Semi-Finals on Friday night. Russia, who finished second in Group B will crossover to play Team Pacific who finished first place in Group A.
The 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge includes 75 players from the CHL including 20 OHL players competing on Team Ontario in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
For more information please visit hockeycanada.ca/wu17
