2019 IIHF World Junior Championship

JUNIOR HOPEFULS EDGED BY U SPORTS ALL-STARS

JESSICA GOWANS

VICTORIA, B.C. – Seven different players recorded points, but Canada’s junior hopefuls dropped a 5-3 decision to the U SPORTS all-stars Thursday in the second of three games at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp.

The university side was powered by a three-goal second period, evening the camp series at a win apiece.

MacKenzie Entwistle (Georgetown, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) opened the scoring for Canada less than five minutes in, letting go a laser beam of a shot that snuck under the arm of goaltender Ian Scott (Calgary, Alta/Prince Albert, WHL), who was between the pipes for U SPORTS.

U SPORTS answered back with a goal from Nikolas Brouillard, sending the game to the intermission even despite multiple chances for Canada on a late-period power play.

Riley Sheen gave U SPORTS its first lead of the night early in the second period, finding the back of the net through a mass of bodies in front, before a flurry of goals in the final five minutes of the middle frame.

Canada scored two quick goals to retake the lead; Morgan Frost (Aurora, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL) tied it on the power play, and less than a minute later Owen Tippett (Peterborough, Ont./Mississauga, OHL) made it 3-2.

It was back even just 90 seconds later thanks to a goal from Kris Bennett, before Mark Simpson added another goal 57 seconds after that to put U SPORTS up 4-3 leading to the third period.

Holden Cook put the game out of reach in the third period; with Canada pinned in its own zone, Cook took a pass from Hunter Garlent and tucked it past Michael DiPietro (Amherstburg, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) for the insurance marker.

DiPietro shared time in the Canadian goal with Matthew Villalta (Godfrey, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL); Villalta started and stopped 13 of the 15 shots he faced before DiPietro turned away eight of 10 the rest of the way.

Scott finished with 27 saves for U SPORTS.

The two teams will face off in the selection camp finale on Friday afternoon (5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT).