2007-08 National Men's Under-18 Team

NATIONAL MEN’S UNDER-18 TEAM DROPS FIRST EXHIBITION GAME

MINSK, Belarus – Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team came out on the losing end on Thursday in Minsk, Belarus, falling 6-4 to the host Belarussians in front of 2,800 fans at the Palace of Sport.

The game was Canada’s first of two pre-tournament contests ahead of the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, which begins April 13th in Kazan, Russia.

The Canadians hit the ice after only three practices together, including one without their own sticks, and a long trip to the former Soviet republic.

“You can’t let six goals in and expect to win a hockey game,” said Canadian head coach Pat Quinn. “I think we did create some good offense and had some good scoring opportunities, but “we weren’t sharp around their net, and our defense was very soft today.”

Taylor Hall (Kingston, ON/Windsor, OHL) opened the scoring for the Canadians, answering a Belarussian goal just two minutes after the opening face-off.

Hall, Canada’s youngest player, was pleased to get on the scoreboard but disappointed in the final result.

“It’s a pretty good feeling to have scored the first goal, but at the same time it’s meaningless as the final score was not in our favor,” Hall said. “We’ll get back at it tomorrow and come up with a better effort. We’ll get better everyday, take it step by step, and we’ll be a good team in the end when it really counts at the world championship.”

Despite Hall’s goal, Belarus continued to carry the play and took a 3-1 lead before the end of the opening 20 minutes.

Canada cut the lead to one early in the second period, as defensemen Colten Teubert (White Rock, BC/Regina, WHL) flipped the puck past the Belarussian goaltender to make it 3-2, but Belarus answered right back and took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission.

Again the Canadians would claw back, striking early in the third period on a goal from Cody Hodgson (Markham, ON/Brampton, OHL), but Belarus would score twice in 14 seconds just minutes later to push the lead to three goals.

Ryan Ellis (Freelton, ON/Windsor, OHL) scored late to cut the Belarussian lead to two at 6-4, but that would be as close as the Canadians would get.

The game was a battle of special teams, as Belarus connected three times on the powerplay and once shorthanded, while Canada finished with a pair of goals on the man advantage.

Canada will wrap up the pre-tournament portion of the schedule on Friday as they take on Finland, again in Minsk. The National Men’s Under-18 Team opens the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship on April 13th when it takes on Germany.

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Final

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Goals/Buts :
BLR – Suslo N (Solomonov E) 1:27
CAN – Taylor Hall (Greg Nemisz, Marco Scandella) 4:19
BLR – Korolik S (Suslo N) 7:08
BLR – Sheleg S (Gotovez K) 18:14

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Braydon Schenn (Roughing/Rudesse) 2:11
BLR – Pichuka H (Roughing/Rudesse) 2:11
BLR – Markekov S (Tripping/Trébuché) 6:17
BLR – Suslo N (Roughing/Rudesse) 9:57
CAN – Eric O’Dell (Tripping/Trébuché) 12:12
BLR – Team (Bench Minor/Pénalité de banc) 12:43
CAN – Tyler Myers (Roughing/Rudesse) 13:46
CAN – Tyler Cuma (Holding/Retenu) 17:38
BLR – Drozd S (Hooking/Accroché) 18:26

Goals/Buts :
CAN – Colten Teubert (Greg Nemisz, Marco Scandella) 5:24
BLR – Formin HL (Revenko) 29:07

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Tyler Cuma (Boarding/Donné de la bande) 1:56
BLR – Stephanov E (Roughing/Rudesse) 4:53
CAN – Eric O’Dell (Boarding/Donné de la bande) 4:53
CAN – Josh Brittain (Boarding/Donné de la bande) 7:09
BLR – Sadovik HL (Hooking/Accroché) 9:56
BLR – Sheleg S (Hooking/Accroché) 11:44
CAN – Josh Brittain (Slashing/Coup de bâton) 12:04
CAN – Cody Hodgson (Holding/Retenu) 12:53
BLR – Sheleg S (Misconduct/Inconduite) 15:17
CAN – Tyler Myers (Charging/Assaut) 19:02

Goals/Buts :
CAN – Cody Hodgson (Ryan Ellis) 5:17
BLR – Stepanov E (Pichunka H, Sadovik HL) 7:13
BLR – Formin H (Drozd S, Revenko I) 7:27
CAN – Ryan Ellis 17:51

Penalties/Pénalités :
BLR – Suslo N (Hooking/Accroché) 3:41
CAN – Tyler Myers (Holding/Retenu) 6:23
BLR – Gotovez K (Charging/Assaut) 9:22
CAN – Braydon McMillan (Cross-checking) 11:56
BLR – Stephanov E (Roughing/Rudesse) 11:56
CAN – Tyler Myers (Interference/Obstruction) 15:28
BLR – Sheleg S (Charging/Assaut) 17:45
CAN – Ryan Ellis (Charging/Assaut) 18:39
CAN – Ryan Ellis (Roughing/Rudesse) 18:39
BLR – Formin HL (Roughing/Rudesse) 18:39
BLR – Formin HL (Roughing/Rudesse) 18:39