Wolves Defeat Sweden
The Sudbury Wolves recorded their first win of the World Jr. Club Championship tournament in Omsk, Russia on Wednesday with a 4-1 victory over Team Sweden.
The win allowed the Wolves to finish the round-robin schedule with a record of 1 win and 2 losses for 3 points. The Wolves needed Finland to defeat Belarus to give them a chance of getting into a three-way tie for the medal round, but, Belarus won their game 3-2 and ended any hopes for Sudbury to win a medal at this year’s event.
Sudbury finished in 3rd place in the four team ‘B’ division with 3 points while Belarus and Finland advanced to the semi-finals in the ‘B’ division with 6 points each. The Wolves will play Latvia, who finished with a 2-1 record in the ‘A’ division. The winner of tonight’s contest will finish in 5th place in the 8-team international event.
DOMINIK KAHUN got things rolling for the Wolves with a power play goal in the first period on a perfect feed from MATHEW CAMPAGNA. The Wolves made it 2-0 in the second period when NATHAN CULL deflected a CORY GENOVESE shot from the point. Sweden closed the gap to make it 2-1 before Sudbury responded when DOMINIK KUBALIK and EVAN DE HAAN scored to give the Wolves a commanding 4-1 lead after two periods.
The top Junior team from Sweden, Frolunda, had numerous scoring chances on the power play but the Wolves killed-off nine Sweden power plays with outstanding penalty-killing led by goaltender FRANKY PALAZZESE. PALAZZESE was sensational stopping 30 shots as Sweden outshot the Wolves 31-17. Sweden will now play Czech Republic to determine 7th place in the tournament.
