CANADA BLACK CAPTURES U17 SILVER
(pictured - Team Canada Black with OJHL players Dawson Baker, Hunter Jones and Jack McBain captured the silver medal at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge held in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - photo credit: Matthew Murnaghan/Hockey Canada Images)
Adam Bokvist scored the game-winning goal on the power play early in the third period, sending Sweden to a 2-1 win over Canada Black in the gold medal game Saturday night at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
It’s the second U17 gold for the Swedes, who also topped the podium in 2013 in Victoriaville, Que.
The game was a battle of the goaltenders, with Swedish netminder Olof Lindblom – who was named to the tournament all-star team following the game – and Canadian counterpart Jacob Ingham (Barrie, Ont./Mississauga, OHL) going save-for-save while combining to stop 61 of the 63 shots they faced.
Most of the offence came at five-on-five; the game included just three minor penalties – two called against Canada Black, and one against the Swedes.
Sweden held a 17-10 advantage in shots on goal in the first period, but it was the Canadians who found the scoreboard first; Eli Zummack (Kelowna, B.C./Okanagan, BCMML) showed off a deft touch, redirecting a shot from Black captain Ty Smith (Lloydminster, Alta./Spokane, WHL) through Lindbom at 15:44.
That would stand up until just shy of the midway mark of the second when Linus Nässén made a quick cut into the slot and shot across his body, sneaking the puck past the outstretched glove of Ingham.
Bokvist netted the winner 3:50 into the third period with Adam McMaster (Beamsville, Ont./North Bay, OHL) off for slashing; the Swedish defenceman beat Ingahm with a wrist shot from the blue-line that made its way through a sea of bodies in front.
Canada Black earned its lone power play midway through the final frame but couldn’t find a way past Lindbom, who made 10 of his 27 saves in the third.
The Swedes are the third team in a row to win gold after losing two of three preliminary-round games, following Russia in 2014 and Canada White last year, but the first in tournament history to take the top prize after back-to-back losses to open the tournament.
The gold medal game featured three of the six players named to the all-star team – Smith, Lindbom and Swedish forward Samuel Fagemo were joined by defenceman Jett Woo (Canada White), and forwards Joel Farabee (United States) and Andrey Svechnikov (Russia).
Story by Jason LaRose on Hockey Canada website (www.hockeycanada.ca).
