2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

PARENT SCORES LATE, GREEN BEATS GOLD TO FINISH U17 CAMP

JASON LA ROSE

CALGARY, Alta. – Xavier Parent (Blainville, Que./Collège Esther-Blondin, LHMAAAQ) netted the game-winning goal with just 2:19 to go, sending Green to a 5-4 win over Gold in the final game for both Friday at Canada’s national under-17 development camp.

Green finished its intrasquad schedule with two wins and a shootout loss, while Gold suffered its first defeat.

With a shootout looming, Parent parked himself in the slot, took a feed from Josh Williams (Langley, B.C./Yale Hockey Academy, CSSHL) and beat Gold goaltender Ethan Fitzgerald (Calgary, Alta./NWCAA Stampeders, AMMHL) to the far side for the deciding goal.

Gold found the scoreboard first, with Nicholas Porco (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont./Soo, GNML) beating Christian Sbaraglia (Mississauga, Ont./Vaughan, GTHL) with a quick shot off the rush at 6:23, but Xavier Henry (Scarborough, Ont./Toronto Titans, GTHL) got a point shot through traffic and past Jonathan Lemieux (Beloeil, Que./Collège Antoine-Girouard, LHMAAAQ) on the power play to bring Green even before the end of the first period.

Nathan Légaré (Saint-Eustache, Que./Saint-Eustache, LHMAAAQ) restored the Gold lead only 1:47 into the second, knocking in a rebound in the slot, and Gold held a 14-12 advantage in shots in the middle frame, but Green used a late flurry to take its first lead.

Olivier Desroches (Laval, Que./Laval-Montréal, LHMAAAQ) was first at 12:35, wiring a wrist shot upstairs on Fitzgerald, Henry added his second at 13:24 from the point, and Mitchell Russell (Barrie, Ont./Barrie, OMHA) made it three goals in 2:29 with a quick shot from in front, sending Green to the intermission up 4-2.

But Gold refused to roll over, finding the back of the net twice in the first 3:09 of the third period to pull even.

Légaré made it 4-3 with his second of the game just 55 seconds after the puck dropped, taking advantage of a fortuitous bounce in front of Luke Cavallin (Greely, Ont./Kemptville, HEO), and Ethan Keppen (Whitby, Ont./Toronto Nationals, GTHL) tipped in a Jaxon Bellamy (Hampton, N.B./Saint John, NBPEIMMHL) shot to tie the game, leading to the Parent winner.