2017 World Junior A Challenge

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2017 World Junior A Challenge
Game #6
Preliminary
Final
December 12, 2017 7:30 pm AST
Rath Eastlink Community Centre
Truro, NS

Scoring

Teams
1st
2nd
3rd
Final
Teams
1
2
3
F
0
1
1
2
0
1
0
1

Shots on Goal

1st
2nd
3rd
Final
1
2
3
F
8
9
10
27
11
8
9
28

Statistics

PP
PIM
0 / 1
0
0 / 0
2

Game Story

U.S. EDGES WEST IN THRILLER TO CLOSE PRELIMS AT WJAC

JASON LA ROSE

TRURO, N.S. – Jack Dugan poked in a loose puck with 32.7 seconds remaining, giving the United States a narrow 2-1 win over Canada West in the preliminary-round finale Tuesday at the 2017 World Junior A Challenge.

The win means the U.S. will face Switzerland in the first quarter-final Wednesday (3:30 p.m. AT), followed by West meeting East in an all-Canadian medal round match-up (7:30 p.m. AT).

With overtime looming, Dugan found the puck laying in the crease after a shot from Paul Cotter had squeezed under the arm of Canadian goaltender Zach Rose.

The winning goal capped arguably the best game of the tournament thus far, with more than 2,500 fans at the RECC treated to an end-to-end classic between the only two teams to ever win WJAC gold that was short on offence but not on excitement.

A fast-paced and physical first period failed to produce a goal, with West holding an 11-8 advantage in shots.

The Americans struck first just past the three-minute mark of the second period when a Clayton Phillips shot banked off the skate of Graham Slaggert and right to Cole Guttman, who beat Rose for a 1-0 lead.

But the advantage lasted just 35 seconds; Ross Armour finished a beautiful cross-ice feed from Angus Crookshank to pull the Canadians even.

Rose and American counterpart Jake Kucharski took over from there, going save for save for close to 36 minutes until Dugan won it for the U.S.

The game included only a single penalty, a hooking call on West defenceman Ryan O’Connell in the early minutes. It is just the second game in tournament history with one minor, joining the 2011 gold medal game between Canada East and Canada West.

Play-by-Play

Team
Description
Time
1st Period
PENALTY
Penalty: Ryan O’Connell
Hooking (2:00)
04:06
2nd Period
GOAL
Goal: Cole Guttman

Assists: Graham Slaggert, Clayton Phillips
03:02
GOAL
Goal: Ross Armour

Assists: Angus Crookshank
03:37
3rd Period
GOAL
Goal: Jack Dugan

Assists: Paul Cotter
19:28

Goaltenders

Name Team Mins SA SVS GA SV%
Jake Kucharski USA 60 28 27 1 0.964
Zach Rose CAN-W 59 27 25 2 0.926

Game Leaders

Goals 1 - Assists 0 - Points 1
G 1 - A 0 - P 1
Goals 1 - Assists 0 - Points 1
G 1 - A 0 - P 1
Goals 1 - Assists 0 - Points 1
G 1 - A 0 - P 1
Goals 0 - Assists 1 - Points 1
G 0 - A 1 - P 1
Goals 0 - Assists 1 - Points 1
G 0 - A 1 - P 1

Previous Games

1 - 5 L vs. Canada WestCAN-W
Dec 16, 2017
5 - 1 W @ United StatesUSA
Dec 16, 2017
5 - 0 W @ RussiaRUS
Dec 14, 2017
5 - 1 W @ Czech RepublicCZE
Dec 14, 2017
3 - 1 W vs. SwitzerlandSUI
Dec 13, 2017
4 - 3 W @ Canada EastCAN-E
Dec 13, 2017
Videos
Photos
2016 WJAC: USA 4 – CAN-E 0 (Gold Medal)
Primeau made 14 saves, backstopping the Americans to a gold medal.
2016 WJAC - WJAC: CAN-W 5 – SUI 3 (5th Place)
Kawaguchi had a goal and three assists to help West to fifth place.
2016 WJAC - RUS 6 – CZE 3 (Bronze Medal)
Svechnikov scored a hat trick to lead Russia to its fourth bronze.
2016 WJAC: USA 4 – RUS 2 (Semifinal)
The U.S. scored three PP goals to advance to the gold medal game.
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