BIGGS’ PAIR LEADS UNITED STATES TO U17 GOLD

TIMMINS, Ont. – For the first time since 2002, the United States is on top of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. 

Tyler Biggs scored twice, including the game-winner in the first minute of the third period, as the United States ended a two-game losing streak in the gold medal game with a 2-1 victory over Ontario on Monday night.

The U.S. won its first U17 title since claiming the second of back-to-back golds in 2001 and 2002. It lost in the gold medal game in 2006 and 2008 – the 2008 game to Ontario. The win also made the Americans just the third team to win three U17 golds; Ontario leads with seven, and Quebec has also won three.

The game was a goaltender’s duel from the start; despite 21 shots on goal in the opening period (11-10 in favour of the United States) netminders Tyson Teichmann of Ontario and John Gibson of the U.S. kept the game scoreless through 20 minutes.

Biggs finally broke the goose egg 1:51 into the second period, snapping a shot past Teichmann, but the middle frame was also owned by the goaltenders – Biggs’s goal was the only one of 25 shots to beat Teichmann and Gibson.

Just as it did in its tournament-opening loss to Finland, Ontario owned the third period, outshooting the U.S. 19-6, but not before Biggs snuck a shot under the arm of Teichmann to double the American lead just 31 seconds into the period.

Gibson and the American shut the door from there, although a goal from Daniel Catenacci with just one second remaining gave the pro-Canadian crowd of more than 2,000 at McIntyre Arena something to cheer about late, and ruined Gibson’s shutout bid.  

The loss ended Ontario’s gold medal game winning streak at three – it had not lost the final game at a U17 tournament since 2000, when it lost to Russia in, ironically, Timmins.