Canada had a pleasant start to the 2021 World Junior Championships, scoring 19 goals while only conceding three during their opening two games. Slovakia did howevere provide considerably much more bite than Germany and the Canadians had to fight throughout all three periods to eventually drag out a 3-1-win.
Having been scheduled favourably, Team Canada once again was heavily favoured against a Team Switzerland with few NHL calibre prospects on their roster. Switzerland held their own quite well defensively throughout their first two games, losing to an only goal against the Slovaks and conceding four to Team Finland.
Offensively though, things have been rough. Draft eligible Attilio Biasca turned some heads with his goal on Sunday, but that goal has been the only one the Swiss have scored so far in the tournament. One goal in 42 shots is not enough if you want to reach the quarter finals.
Team Canada started the game, as expected, with immense velocity. Switzerland looked as though they were third on the puck as Canada skated in circles around them. Philip Tomasino isn’t one of the forwards with the most playing time on the team, but he sure knows how to do something creative with the time he gets. The Nashville prospect became the first player on the board as he sniped the puck past QMJHL-goaltender Noah Patenaude with less than two minutes played of the opening period.
Canada had 13 more shots throughout the period, but did not manage to double their lead. Switzerland meanwhile only managed three and Devon Levi, who got his third straight start in net, had no problem keeping a clean sheet.
Buffalo Sabres prodigy Dylan Cozens became the second goalscorer of the night, when he pushed a rebound from Cole Perfetti past Patenaude and into the open cage.
Quebec native Jacob Pelletier followed up with 3-0 off a rebound from fellow Calgary Flames draft prospect Connor Zary and minutes later the younger brother Suzuki continued the rebound mania shortly afterward with his second of the tournament. Connor McMichael, who could have got a ten minute major for his interference during period one. scored number five with a beautiful wrister in pace from the top of the slot.
Dylan Cozens once again shows his smart defensive stick, this time using his long reach to get the steal before feeding McMichael for the goal. Canada leads Switzerland 5-0 at the second intermission. pic.twitter.com/std7vfnuXF
In the mean time, Montreal prospect Kaiden Guhle was making a name for himself on the world wide web by delivering hits like this one:
Patenaude did everything he could to keep the score to a minimum, but as so often before when a superior force meets an inferior one, there’s only so long you can stand your ground.
The third period turned into a long and tedious nightmare for the Swiss as Team Canada went for yet another game with double digits on the score board. Quinton Byfield, who coincidentally is the youngest player on both this and last year’s team, already had three assists to his name from the first two periods. He followed this up by scoring his first two tallies of his World Juniors career to put the score up to seven.
Perfetti added number eight before Guhle made his best Shea Weber-impression and buried it home from the point. We can surely get used to seeing his rocket of a slapshot.
Before deciding that enough was enough, Pelletier scored his second of the night and third of the tournament. The game ended with a 10-0-victory for Canada, who now possess a whopping 29-3 in goals for/against after three games played.
On New Years Eve, we will get to see the first real test for this team as they take on Finland in what should be a battle for the top seed in Group A.
Switzerland will face Germany in a decisive battle for what should be the last quarter final spot in the same group. Considering Germany’s overtime win over Slovakia, Switzerland will need to beat their rivals to squeeze on through to the next round.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
