2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

U.S. BEATS CANADA BLACK, OFF TO U17 SEMIFINALS AGAIN

DAVID BRIEN

LAMBTON SHORES, Ont. – Joey Anderson scored twice, including the game-winning goal, and the United States moved into the semifinals at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 4-1 win over Canada Black in a Thursday afternoon quarter-final.

The Americans, who are into the semifinals for the ninth consecutive time at the U17 tournament, will meet the winner of the Canada White-Sweden quarter-final in Friday’s final four.

Max Jones and Kailer Yamamoto had a goal and an assist each, and Chad Krys added two helpers for the U.S., which hasn’t lost at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge since the semifinals of the 2013 tournament, a span of 11 games.

Jake Bean (Calgary, Alta./Calgary, WHL) scored the lone Canada Black goal.

The game’s first goal came just 5:34 after the puck dropped, off the stick of Jones; Patrick Khodorenko set up behind the Canadian net before feeding Jones, who one-timed a shot through the five-hole of Black goaltender Stuart Skinner (Edmonton, Alta./Lethbridge, WHL).

Anderson doubled the lead on a two-man advantage at 14:17, taking a pass from Adam Fox and snapping a shot over Skinner’s glove.

The Canadians cut the lead in half just past the midway point of the second period; with Canada Black shorthanded, Bean outraced an American defenceman and snapped a shot short side on Jake Oettinger.

But Yamamoto made it a two-goal game again with 90 seconds left in the middle frame, skating into the middle of the ice and wiring a wrist shot under the cross bar over the right shoulder of Skinner.

The U.S. controlled play in the third period, outshooting Canada Black 15-4 in the final 20 minutes, and extended its lead further when Anderson snapped his second goal past Skinner from the low slot.

Despite the loss, Skinner was a standout for the Canadians, finishing with 37 saves, while Oettinger made 23 stops to record the win in the American goal.

The U.S. outshot Canada Black 41-24.

The Canadians will now wait for the results of Thursday’s late quarter-finals to find out if they’ll play in the fifth-place game or seventh-place game in Lambton Shores on Friday.