FOUR-GOAL SECOND HELPS ONTARIO TO FIRST PLACE

by Alyssa McDonald

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. – Ontario has won Group B at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, beating Pacific 4-2 on Sunday night in a match-up of undefeated teams at the PCU Centre.

The win moves Ontario’s record to a perfect 4-0, and sets up a semifinal against Quebec on Monday night (7:30 p.m. CT) at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. It’s the fourth U17 tournament in a row Ontario has reached the semis – it won gold in 2008 and 2009 before settling for silver last year.

Although Ontario had a 9-8 advantage in shots on goal in the first period it was Pacific who hit the board first thanks to Hunter Shinkaruk’s goal at 8:20.

It didn’t take Ontario long to respond once the puck dropped to start the second period – Brendan Gaunce’s power play goal brought the easterners even just 24 seconds into the middle frame.

Ontario took its first lead at 10:42 thanks to captain Matia Marcantuoni, and that lead was doubled just 50 seconds later when Matthew Finn beat Pacific netminder Devon Fordyce, who made his first appearance of the tournament.

Gaunce closed out an all-Ontario period with his second power play goal of the frame, sending the defending silver medallists to the dressing room up 4-1 after a period in which they outshot Pacific 15-4.

After an offensive second period the third was a defensive battle; the teams combined for just eight shots on goal – four apiece.

Brandon Magee cut the Ontario lead to 4-2 with just under nine minutes to go, but that would be as close as Pacific would get.

The loss sends Pacific to a semifinal date with the United States on Monday afternoon at the MTS Centre (3 p.m. CT). It’s a familiar match-up – Monday’s game will mark the fifth time in eight years the two teams have met in the semifinals.