VILARDI GETS WINNER LATER, WHITE EDGES RED AT U18 CAMP

DAVID BRIEN

CALGARY, Alta. – Gabe Vilardi (Kingston, Ont./Windsor, OHL) broke open a tie game late in the third period with his second game-winner in as many days, giving White a 3-2 win over Red and a second-straight victory at Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp on Monday.

With overtime looming, Maxime Comtois (Longueuil, Que./Victoriaville, QMJHL) intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and found Vilardi, who made no mistake from the hashmarks at 15:20 of the final period.

Jordy Bellerive (North Vancouver, B.C./Lethbridge, WHL) and Stelio Mattheos (Winnipeg, Man./Brandon, WHL) had the other goals for White, which led 2-0 before allowing Red back into the game.

Markus Phillips (Toronto, Ont./Owen Sound, OHL) and Shane Bowers (Halifax, N.S./Waterloo, USHL) were the goal-scorers for Red.

White controlled the puck for long stretches of the first period, finishing the opening frame with a 12-6 advantage in shots on goal, and it struck twice.

Bellerive cashed in the rebound of a Jack Studnicka (Tecumseh, Ont./Oshawa, OHL) shot off the end-boards just 2:47 in, giving White the very early lead, and Mattheos beat Red goaltender Jacob McGrath (Mississauga, Ont./St. Michael’s, OJHL) under the crossbar with 2:21 left in the period.

White netminder Matt Welsh (Halifax, N.S./Charlottetown, QMJHL) got the start, but a broken skate blade forced an early exit 12:24 into the game in favour of Michael DiPietro (Amherstburg, Ont./Windsor, OHL).

Red finally got a puck behind DiPietro eight minutes into the second period; Phillips carried the puck down the wing before letting go a wrist shot that found its way under the blocker of the screened White goaltender.

Bowers tied the game midway through the third, taking a pass from Ryan McLeod (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga, OHL) and snapping a shot short-side on DiPietro from the face-off dot.

Despite managing just three shots in the final 20 minutes, White finished with a 22-19 advantage overall.

The teams are back on the ice for the third and final intrasquad game Tuesday morning (11 a.m. MT). Following the game, 22 players will be selected to represent Canada at the 2016 U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.