2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

BLAISDELL SCORES TWICE IN THIRD TO GIVE GOLD WIN OVER BLUE

LINDSAY LEGGETT

CALGARY, Alta. – Harrison Blaisdell (Regina, Sask./Regina, SMAAAHL) had a pair of third-period goals, including the game-winner with 4:38 left, helping Gold to its second win in as many days at Canada’s national under-17 development camp, 3-1 over Blue.

The first period was full of opportunities for Blue, which enjoyed a trio of power plays, but gold opened the scoring when Nicholas Porco (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont./Vaughan Kings, GTHL) found a loose rebound in the slot and buried into the open net.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in an end-to-end second period, as all four goaltenders saw action to keep the game 1-0 in favour of Gold into the third.

Blue had a chance early in the third period with a 93-second five-on-three advantage, but couldn’t beat Gold netminder Jonathan Lemieux (Beloeil, Que./Collège Antoine-Girouard, LHMAAAQ), who showed off his flexibility to keep his team in front.

Matthew Robertson (Sherwood Park, Alta./Sherwood Park, AMHL) finally converted on a Blue power play at 12:05, taking a cross-ice feed from Tag Bertuzzi (Winnipeg, Man., Winnipeg Wild, MMAAAHL) and beating Lemieux, but the tie game wouldn’t last long.

Just 17 seconds later, Blaisdell went to the net to redirect a centering feed from Connor McMichael (Ajax, Ont./Ajax-Pickering, OMHA) past Roman Basran (Abbotsford, B.C./Yale Hockey Academy, CSSHL) to restore the Gold lead.

Blue put Basran on the bench in the dying minutes for a six-on-four advantage, but Blaisdell found the empty net with just 30 seconds to go for the shorthanded insurance goal.