HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Connor Bedard scored in the second period, igniting a rally and electrifying a hungry home crowd, as Canada defeated the United States 6-2 in the semifinals of the world junior championship Wednesday.
Team Canada will play host to the Czech Republic in the tournament’s title game Thursday.
Bedard, 17, the tournament’s leading scorer and the likely No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft, scored at 11:49 of the second period, with assists from Ethan Del Mastro and Joshua Roy, cutting a 2-0 Team USA lead in half and turning the momentum over to the hosts.
Logan Stankoven, Adam Fantilli and Roy also scored as Team Canada swarmed American goaltender Trey Augustine in the second period. In an 11-minute span of the stanza, Team USA went from up 2-0 to trailing 4-2. In the third period, Brandt Clarke scored to push Canada’s lead to 5-2, before Roy added an empty-net tally.
Logan Cooley, who plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and is a first-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, scored for the Americans in the first period, followed by a goal from Kenny Connors, a fourth-round selection of the Los Angeles Kings and a forward for the UMass Minutemen.
“I thought we played really well at times,” Team USA coach Rand Pecknold said. “But we just couldn’t put it together for 60 (minutes).”
Thomas Milic shook off those two early goals to make 43 saves for the Canadians en route to the win.
“I love those high-pressure situations,” Milic said. “As we progress through the tournament here, it’s just getting better and better.”
Augustine, 17, who is committed to play for the Michigan State Spartans, finished with 31 saves for the Americans.
“He was great. We hung him out to dry pretty good,” Team USA coach Rand Pecknold said of Augustine. “I thought he played excellent. On some of the goals, he doesn’t have a chance. We have to do a better job in front of him.”
The rivalry game was a rematch of the 2021 world junior final, in which Anaheim Ducks star Trevor Zegras led a Team USA victory.
Canada, which won last year’s title in August, now awaits the Czech Republic, which mounted a rally of its own Wednesday. David Jiricek tied it with 39 seconds left in regulation, Jiri Kulich scored late in overtime to stun Sweden 2-1 in the other semifinal.
The Czechs reached the final for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, and avoided a shootout, when Kulich, a first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, cut from the right side to the slot and lifted the puck over goalie Carl Lindbom’s right shoulder with 50 seconds left in the 10-minute extra period.
Team USA, which had two goals overturned for goaltender interference against Canada, will play Sweden for the bronze medal Thursday.
“It’s really important to go home with a medal,” Team USA captain Luke Hughes, who plays for the Michigan Wolverines and is a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils. “We have to wrap our heads around that and play better tomorrow than we did tonight.”
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.
