WEST CLOSES PRELIMS WITH WIN OVER SLOVAKIA

WINNIPEG, Man. – It wasn’t the game, city or building it had hoped for, but West will get one more chance to play in front of a loud, red and white crowd at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Chandler Stephenson scored once and added two assists as West closed out the preliminary round with a 4-1win over Slovakia on Sunday night, clinching third spot in Group B and a berth in Monday’s fifth-place game against Atlantic in Portage la Prairie (7:30 p.m. CT).

The westerners played in front of more than 1,800 fans in Portage in an exhibition game against the United States on December 28, but played all four of their preliminary round games at the MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg.

Playing 24 hours after its semifinal hopes were ended by Ontario, West got the quick start it was looking for when Brendan Leipsic snapped a shot through the legs of Slovak goaltender Richard Sabol just 1:39 in.

That goal stood up through 20 minutes thanks in part to West goaltender Andy Desautels, who stopped all 12 shots he faced in his first period of action in the tournament.

Reid Gow made it a 2-0 game just shy of the midway point of the second period, and Stephenson recorded his third point of the game when he made it 3-0 66 seconds into the third.

Desautels saw his shutout bid ended by Andreas Strauch at the 8:55 mark of the final frame, but West Player of the Game Ryan Pulock got that back for West less than three minutes later, rounding out the scoring.

With the loss, Slovakia finished the preliminary round at 0-4 and will face Germany in the ninth-place game, Monday afternoon in Portage (3 p.m. CT).