Canada to play for gold following 4-1 semi-final win over Sweden
Bratislava, Slovakia – Serron Noel (Oshawa Generals) scored the go-ahead goal 8:36 into the third period before Benoit-Olivier Groulx (Halifax Mooseheads) and Aidan Dudas (Owen Sound Attack) added insurance markers in a 4-1 semi-final victory over Sweden at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.
Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs) also lit the lamp as Canada advances to take on the host Czech Republic in Saturday’s gold medal game.
Canada held Sweden to a 1-for-9 mark on the power play as goaltender Olivier Rodrigue earned Player of the Game honours with a 24-save performance.
Sweden’s lone goal came off the stick of Lukas Wernblom who tied the score at one on the power play with three seconds remaining in the second period.
Canada plays for gold after finishing fifth in last year’s event, interrupting a string of eight consecutive years as tournament champion from 2008-15. Canada defeated the Czech Republic for gold in the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.
OTHER SCORES FROM DAY 4:
Semi-Final: Czech Republic 2, Russia 1
5th Place Game: United States 4, Finland 3 (OT)
7th Place Game: Switzerland 2, Slovakia 1
Team Canada includes 21 players from the Canadian Hockey League including eight from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, seven from the Ontario Hockey League and six from the Western Hockey League.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_men.