KERFOOT SCORES OT WINNER AS CANADA WEST ADVANCES TO GOLD MEDAL GAME

LANGLEY, B.C. – Alex Kerfoot (West Vancouver, B.C./Coquitlam, BCHL) scored the winner 2:09 into overtime to send Canada West to the gold medal game at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge with a 2-1 semifinal win over Sweden on Friday night.

Kerfoot broke away from the Swedish defence and snuck a shot off the post and in against goaltender Oscar Dansk to set up an all-Canadian gold medal game against Canada East on Sunday night (5 p.m. PT, TSN2) at the Langley Events Centre.

Aaron Hadley (Castlegar, B.C./Vernon, BCHL) had the other goal for Canada West, scoring on the first shot against Dansk, who was spectacular in shutting out the United States 1-0 in his only other start of the tournament on Monday.

Hadley’s wrist shot from the point shot appeared to be going wide, but hit the shaft of Dansk’s stick and ricocheted behind the Swedish netminder just 6:34 after the puck dropped.

Filip Sandberg scored the lone goal for Sweden, converting a shorthanded 2-on-1 with Mattias Kalin just shy of the 13-minute mark of the second period, the third goal Canada West has surrendered in the tournament while enjoying a power play.

Sean Maguire (Powell River, B.C./Powell River, BCHL) turned aside 28 shots to earn the win in the Canada West goal, while Dansk made 20 saves in defeat.

Canada West will look for its third World Junior A Challenge gold medal on Sunday, having previously taken home the top prize in 2006 and 2007 – beating Canada East in the final both years.

Sweden will meet the United States on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. PT) in the bronze medal game.