2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

U.S. HOLDS ON FOR WIN OVER CANADA RED IN U17 EXHIBITION PLAY

STACIE COUCH

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – Sean Dhooghe’s goal late in the second period stood up as the game-winner as the United States beat a pesky Canada Red 4-3 in pre-tournament action ahead of the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Three times the Americans took a lead and three times the Canadians battled back before Dhooghe’s winner.

David Farrance opened the scoring for the U.S. with a power play goal just 5:31 in, slamming a point shot past Canadian goaltender Michael DiPietro (Amherstburg, Ont./Windsor, OHL) for a 1-0 lead, but Shawn Boudrias (Terrebonne, Que./Charlottetown, QMJHL) and Zach Gallant (Oakville, Ont./Peterborough, OHL) set up Brendan Semchuk (Kamloops, B.C./Vancouver, WHL) to tie the game just 3:14 later.

Just past the halfway mark of the period, a battle in front of the net resulted in Nate Knoepke knocking it past DiPietro (Amherstburg, Ont./Windsor, OHL) for a 2-1 U.S. lead after 20 minutes.

Early in the middle frame, MacKenzie Entwistle (Georgetown, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) carried the puck behind the net before serving up a pass to Josh Brook (Roblin, Man./Moose Jaw, WHL), who buried the tying goal for Canada Red.

Again the U.S. took the lead, this time off the stick of Scott Reedy, but again Canada Red answered back; Joël Teasdale (Beloeil, Que./Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) made good on a shorthanded effort, off a set-up from Gallant and Markus Phillips (Vaughan, Ont./Owen Sound, OHL).

Fancy foot work by Logan Cockerill got the puck to Dhooghe, who beat new Canadian netminder Kyle Jessiman (Châteauguay, Que./Cape Breton, QMJHL) on an American power play to restore the U.S. lead for good.

Gallant was the lone Canadian to record multiple points, picking up two assists, while the Americans got at least one from 11 different skaters in the victory.

The U.S. finished with a 33-26 advantage in shots on goal.

Both teams open the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge on Sunday; Canada Red gets Finland in the night cap in Fort St. John, B.C. (7 p.m. MT), while the U.S. meets the Czech Republic in the second game of the day in Dawson Creek (7 p.m. MT).