2017 World Junior A Challenge

THEOCHARIDIS GETS OT WINNER, EAST EARNS FIFTH PLACE AT WJAC

JASON LA ROSE

TRURO, N.S. - Tim Theocharidis scored with 41.2 seconds left in overtime, giving Canada East a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Switzerland on Friday night and fifth place at the 2017 World Junior A Challenge.

With a shootout looking likely, Jack McBain kept the puck in at the Swiss blue-line and let go a wrist shot that bounced off the end boards and tipped off the stick of Zachary Tupker, bouncing in front for the East captain to tap into an empty net.

The Canadians trailed in the final minute before Colin Doyle poked in the game-tying goal at 19:41 of the third period, sending the game to extra time.

After a scoreless first period that saw the Swiss outshoot East 12-9, Colton Kalezic needed just 17 seconds of the second to open the scoring, tapping his own rebound past goaltender Luca Jan Hollenstein after a set-up from McBain.

Gian-Marco Wetter equalized for Switzerland on a power play later in the middle frame, going five-hole on East netminder Jett Alexander to send the game to the intermission even after 40 minutes.

Dario Wüthrich gave the Swiss the lead with less than five minutes to go, jumping in off the blue-line and snapping a shot past the blocker of Alexander, but Doyle jabbed at a loose puck in the crease to keep the Canadians alive.

The win kept East from going winless for just the second time in tournament history, while Switzerland finished sixth for the third year in a row and has now 12 consecutive World Junior A Challenge games.