LONDON HANDS VANCOUVER FIRST LOSS, KEEPS SEMIFINAL HOPES ALIVE

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Matthew Schurr and Wyatt Coghill scored 1:21 apart early in the second period to break open a 1-0 game as the London Jr. Knights kept alive their chances of making the semifinals at the 2011 TELUSCup with a 4-1 win over the Vancouver North West Giants on Friday morning.

The loss was the first of the tournament for the Giants (4-1), who had already clinched first place in the round robin, while the Jr. Knights (1-2-2) earned their first win after skating to ties in their last two games.

Despite coming into the game as the underdogs, the Jr. Knights needed just 3:03 to open the scoring – Paul Hopkins capitalized on a Giants turnover and beat Scott Legault on a breakaway to give London a surprising1-0 lead.

The Jr. Knights dominated the opening period, outshooting Vancouver 20-6, but Hopkins’ goal was the only one of the first 20 minutes.

It didn’t take long for London to increase its lead once the puck dropped to start the second, as Schurr made it 2-0 just 1:37 into the period and Coghill pushed the advantage to three 81 seconds later, racing down the left wing and blasting a shot over the glove of Legault.

The vaunted Vancouver power play, which had failed on its first two opportunities in the first period, got the Giants on the board just past the midway point of the second, with Sam Reinhart scoring his seventh goal of the tournament, tying him with line mate Alex Kerfoot for the tournament’s goal-scoring lead.

But London quelled the Vancouver momentum with a goal in the dying seconds of the second period off the stick of Connor Hogg, who stepped out from the corner and beat Legault.

Both teams will wait for the conclusion of play on Friday to find out their Saturday fates – London will find out if their quest for a national championship will continue, while Vancouver will find out who they’ll face in the semifinals.