BEAUVILLIER SCORES HAT TRICK; CANADA SHUTS OUT CIS

WENDY GRAVES

TORONTO, Ont. – Anthony Beauvillier (Sorel, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) had a hat trick and Canada rode a four-goal second period to defeat Team CIS Sunday afternoon in the second of two exhibition games at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp.

Beauvillier also picked up an assist to finish with five points in the weekend series.

Pierre-Luc Dubois (Rimouski, Que./Cape Breton, QMJHL) and Travis Konecny (Clachan, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) scored the other goals for Canada. Konecny also picked up an assist, as did Spencer Watson (London, Ont./Kingston, OHL), Brendan Perlini (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont./Niagara, OHL) and Thomas Chabot (Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Que./Saint John, QMJHL).

Samuel Montembeault (Bécancour, Que./Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) stopped all 32 shots he saw in picking up the shutout.

Corbin Boes and Jordon Cooke split time in net for Team CIS, collectively making 33 saves.

Canada created some quality scoring chances in the early going, but the CIS defenders made sure starting goalie Boes had a clear view of any incoming pucks. An evenly played opening period saw quick play up and down the ice, with Team CIS holding the edge in shots, 12-11.

But for the second game in a row, it was Canada getting on the board first. With just under four minutes to go in the first, Beauvillier won a face-off, then headed for the net, eventually sending the returned puck upstairs from the low slot.

Dubois doubling Canada’s lead three minutes into the second on a great individual effort set the tone for the rest of the period – and essentially iced the game. Eight minutes in Perlini stole the puck behind the CIS net and fed it out front to Beauvillier, who easily tipped in his second goal of the game. Four minutes later he completed the hat trick and ended Boes’ night.

New goalie Cooke had been on the ice for only 11 seconds before Konecny sent a laser past him to make it 5-0 for the hopefuls for Canada’s National Junior Team.

Whereas the night before was mostly about special teams, with three of the teams’ eight goals coming on the power play, the second half of the doubleheader was more about building momentum on even strength. All five goals came on the five-on-five.

The two teams split the two-game series; CIS won the opener, 5-4 in a shootout, on Saturday.

---