BRODA'S WHACK NETS WEST A WIN

By Keith Borkowsky

REGINA — Joel Broda turned a goalmouth scramble into a game-winning goal, giving Team West a 3-2 victory over Slovakia at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Thursday.

The forward from Prince Albert, Sask., delighted the hometown crowd with his whack at a loose puck, which sailed past a sprawling Slovak goalie Jaroslav Janus with 3:44 remaining in the game.

West coach Del Pedrick wondered if his second-straight meeting against a hot goaltender would cost his team.

“You hate to say this was a must-win game, but we really felt it was. It could be a four-team race in our pool, perhaps even all five,” Pedrick said. “Instead of shooting to score, and thinking to score, you are thinking, ‘There goes another one.’”

That made Broda’s game-winning marker all the more important for team morale, as West heads into a Friday bye.

But it didn’t start well for West. Four seconds after Broda took a first-period checking-from-behind penalty, Slovakia’s Juraj Valach drove a point shot past Team West goalie David Aime for a 1-0 lead.

Team West got its equalizer on a power-play in the second period when Dustin Cameron tipped in a Jeremy Schappert point shot at the 5:44 mark.

Derek Hulak gave West a 2-1 lead on an early third-period power-play goal, cashing in a rebound with a shot beating Janus stick side at the 1:15 mark.

Slovakia tied the game 7:55 into the third on a 2-on-1. Lukas Vartovnik wrested a shot past Aime to tie the game at two.

Slovakia plays Quebec Friday in Balgonie at 7 p.m. West plays Quebec on Saturday at the Moose Jaw. Game time is 5 p.m.