Jan. 4, 2000
SKELLEFTEA, Sweden - The United States hockey team
jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Canada but needed a late goal to force
overtime before ultimately losing in a shootout, in Tuesday's
bronze-medal game at the World Junior Championship.
The United States (2-3-2) received a first-period, shorthanded goal
from Northeastern winger Willie Levesque and a second-period score from
Boston University winger Daniel Cavanaugh. But Canada scored the next
three goals of the game, claiming a 3-2 lead with eight minutes left in
regulations, before Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold tied the game on
a power-play goal with 2:54 left to play.
U.S goaltender Phillipe Sauve (Buffalo, N.Y.) made 33 saves--including
17 in the third period--while Canada's Brian Finley countered with 35
stops, including seven in the 10-minute overtime session.
Canada converted on three of its first four shootout attempts, with
second-line winger Jamie Lundmark, second-line center Brandon Reid and
second-line winger Dany Heatley each beating Sauve on "the most exciting
play in sports". Michigan center Andy Hilbert missed the first U.S.
chance before Boston University defenseman converted his chance. But
Minnesota center Jeff Taffe and Cavanaugh both missed, ending the
shootout after four attempts from each team (3-1).
The U.S. cashed in just one of 10 power-play chances while Heatley gave
Canada a 3-2 lead with its only power-play goal of the game (on just
three man-up chances).
In the past four World Junior Championships, the U.S. has held its own
versus its northern rival. The U.S. posted a 4-4 tie and 2-0 loss vs.
Canada in the 1996-97 World Juniors (in Germany and Switzerland) before
beating Canada 3-0 in the 1997-98 playoff round (in Finland). Last year,
the U.S. beat Canada 5-2 in round-robin play, while the teams played to
a 1-1 tie in round-robin play four days ago on New Year's ago. All told,
the U.S. has two wins, two losses (one in a shootout) and two ties in
six games versus Canada during the last four World Juniors, with a 17-13
scoring edge in those games (not counting the shootout goal).
Three Notre Dame players wrapped up their three-week stint with the
U.S. team and will join the Irish in time for the upcoming CCHA home
series versus Lake Superior. Freshman Connor Dunlop again centered one
of the top U.S. lines, winning nine of his 16 faceoffs while taking two
shots on goal and finishing the game with a -2 plus-minus ratio. Irish
sophomore center Brett Henning lost his only faceoff on Tuesday while
sophomore winger David Inman again skated as one of the 13 U.S.
forwards.
Levesque notched his first point of the tournament midway through the
first period, scoring shorthanded at the 10:03 mark. Cavanaugh then
notched his second goal of the tournament early in the second period,
assisted by Taffe (4:28).
Canada chipped away with a goal three minutes later, as first-line
winger Matt Pettinger scored, with an assist from fourth-line winger
Michael Ryder (7:36). Canada tied the game at the 8:38 mark of the third
period, with Chris Nielsen scoring off an assist from fellow third-line
winger Tyler Bouck.
A high-sticking penalty on Maine winger Barrett Heisten set up
Heatley's go-ahead goal, with an assist from Reid (52:04).
But Taffe--whose late goal forced the earlier tie with Canada-set up
Leopold's first goal of the season five minutes later, after a
high-sticking penalty on second-line defenseman Kyle Rossiter.
Lundmark opened the shootout by beating Sauve with a fake to the
netminder's left. Reid then put Canada up 2-0 with an identical move on
Sauve.
Aufiero pulled the U.S. to within 2-1 by beating Finley with a high
wrist shot. But Heatley regained Canada's two-goal edge by firing a shot
through Sauve's legs.
After Taffe and Canada's Eric Chouinard failed to score, Finley
clinched the victory by stopping Cavanaugh's backhand attempt.
NOTES:
- The U.S. forward lines on Tuesday included the following:
Michigan State's Adam Hall-Hilbert-Harvard 's Brett Nowak
- BU's John
Sabo-Henning-New Hampshire's Pat Foley
- Cavanaugh-Taffe-Heisten ·
Levesque-Dunlop- Wisconsin's Brad Winchester
- the defensive pairings
included: Boston College's Brooks Orpik and Michigan's Jeff Jillson,
Maine's Doug Janik and Colorado College's Mike Stuart, and Leopold and
Aufiero
- the team's last two players included Inman and UMass-Lowell D
Ron Hainsey
- Dunlop's tournament stats included a team-best faceoff
percentage (.639, 69-of-108), three penalties, 10 shots on goal and a -4
plus-minus ratio
- Henning won 14 of his 37 faceoffs in the tournament
(.378)
- Inman's tournament stats include two penalties and six shots on
goal
- the U.S. power play hit at 13.2 percent in the tournament
(5-for-38) while the U.S. penalty kill owned a 86.8 percentage
(33-of-38).
USA 1 1 1 0 0 - 3
Canada 0 1 2 0 1 - 4
(Canada wins on shootout)
1st Period - USA 1. Willie Levesque (unassisted), SHG, 10:03.
2nd Period - USA 2. Daniel Cavanaugh (Jeff Taffe) 4:28, CAN 1. Matt
Pettinger (Michael Ryder) 7:36.
3rd Period - CAN 2. Chris Nielsen (Tyler Bonck) 8:28, CAN 3. Dany
Heatley (Brandon Reid), PP, 12:04, CAN 3. Kyle Rossiter, USA 3. Jordan
Leopold (Jeff Taffe), PP, 17:06.
Shots: USA 10-11-10-7/38, CAN 9-5-19-3/36.
Saves: USA, Sauve (9-4-17-3/33), CAN, Brian Finley (9-10-9-7/35).
Power Play: USA 1-for-10, CAN 1-for-3.
Penatlies: USA 10 for 20:00, CAN 3 for 6:00.
