2015 World Junior A Challenge

U.S. BEATS CANADA EAST, WINS WJAC BRONZE

DAVID BRIEN

WHITBY, Ont. – Max Zimmer had two goals and an assist, and Rem Pitlick and Chase Pearson had a goal and two helpers each to pace the United States to a 7-1 win over Canada East on Friday, and a bronze medal at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge.

The U.S. has now medalled at all nine of their appearances, winning six gold medals and three bronze.

After outshooting Canada East 12-3 in the first period but settling for a scoreless draw after 20 minutes, the Americans started the second with a bang, striking twice in the first 90 seconds.

Pitlick gathered in a rebound off Colton Point (North Bay, Ont./Carleton Place, CCHL) and beat the Canadian goaltender just 19 seconds into the period, and Zimmer made it 2-0 at 1:26, making his way to the slot before going five-hole on Point.

Grant Jozefek crashed the net and capitalized on a rebound at 8:45 to make it 3-0, and Pearson buried his own second-chance opportunity on the power play at 13:04 to push the American lead to 4-0.

Canada East got on the board before the second intermission when Tyler Rollo (Burlington, Ont./Oakville, OJHL) stripped an American defender and fed Lucas Batt (Lewisporte, N.L./Carleton Place, CCHL), who was left alone in the low slot to beat U.S. netminder Kris Oldham.

The Americans put the game out of reach in the third, scoring three times in less than four minutes.

Callahan Burke took a stretch pass and beat Point with a top-corner shot at 8:59, Pecararo knocked in the 6-1 goal on a back-door set-up at 12:25, and Zimmer netted his second just 24 ticks after that to finish the scoring.

The U.S. doubled up Canada East on the shot clock, finishing with a 36-18 advantage, and killed off the only two power-play chances the Canadians had. The Americans went 1-for-4 with the man advantage.

It’s the second year in a row Canada East has lost in the bronze medal game; it fell 2-0 to Russia in last year’s third-place game in Kindersley, Sask.