CANADA FALLS TO FINNS, WILL PLAY FOR YOUTH OLYMPIC BRONZE

INNSBRUCK, Austria – Josh Carrick (Goodwood, Ont./Markham Majors, GTHL) opened the scoring just past the four-minute mark of the first period, but that would be all the offence Canada could muster as it dropped a 2-1 semifinal decision to Finland on Friday at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

The loss means Canada will take on the United States in Saturday’s bronze medal game (8:45 a.m. ET/5:45 a.m. PT), while the Finns will face Russia on Sunday for gold (6:15 a.m. ET/3:15 a.m. PT).

Carrick converted Canada’s first power play opportunity, but the Canadians finished 1-for-5 with the man advantage, including two chances in the first eight minutes of the third period, when it was a 1-1 game.

“It’s disappointing for us because we know we didn’t leave it all out there,” Canadian captain Joe Hicketts told iihf.com. “We took the second period off for a while there and in the third period we didn’t capitalize on those early power play chances.”

Penalties proved to be Canada’s undoing late in the game, as the Finns scored the game-winning goal on a power play with 4:34 to go, just seconds after the first half of a two-man advantage had expired.

Keven Bouchard (Métabetchouan, Que./Jonquière, LHMAAAQ) made 17 saves in a losing cause as the Canadians were outshot 19-17.

Goals/Buts : 
04:17 CAN Josh Carrick (Reid Gardiner, Eric Cornel) PP/AN
11:29 FIN Otto Nieminen (Joel Kiviranta, Miikka Pitkanen)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
03:17 FIN Bench/Banc (Too Many Players/Trop du joueurs)
12:35 FIN Joel Kiviranta (Tripping/Faire trébucher)

Goals/Buts : 
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités : 
05:45 CAN Ryan Burton (Delay of Game/Retarder le match)
13:34 FIN Eetu Sopanen (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts : 
10:26 FIN Eetu Sopanen (Otto Nieminen, Miikka Pitkanen)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
00:59 CAN Ryan Gropp (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
04:10 FIN Kasperi Kapanen (Tripping/Faire trébucher)
06:33 FIN Eetu Sopanen (Interference/Obstruction)
08:05 CAN Reid Duke (Slashing/Coup de bâton)
08:56 CAN Ryan Pilon (Holding/Retenir)