Winter Universiade men’s hockey: Canada blanks USA in quarters, to meet Russia again in semis
GRANADA, Spain (CIS) – Team captain Kruise Reddick of Manor, Sask., scored a hat-trick and goaltender Ryan Holfeld of Leroy, Sask., stopped all 20 shots he faced as Canada advanced to the semifinals of the men’s hockey tournament with a 4-0 win over the United States on Wednesday night at the 27th Winter Universiade.
GRANADA, Spain (CIS) – Team captain Kruise Reddick of
Manor, Sask., scored a hat-trick and goaltender Ryan Holfeld of
Leroy, Sask., stopped all 20 shots he faced as Canada advanced to
the semifinals of the men’s hockey tournament with a 4-0 win
over the United States on Wednesday night at the 27th Winter
Universiade.
Reddick, a forward from the University of Alberta, scored his
third, fourth and fifth goals of the biennial competition to pace
the Canucks, while University of Lethbridge forward Mitch Maxwell
(Magrath, Alta.) notched his first of the Games.
Holfeld, an all-star from the University of Saskatchewan, earned
the shutout victory at the Granada Sports Palace in front of a
packed house of 4,400 fans, while Reddick’s U of A teammate
Levko Koper of Edmonton assisted on all three of his tallies.
The win sets up a dream semifinal between archrivals Canada (4-0)
and Russia (3-1), Friday at 11 a.m. EST (5 p.m. local time), live
on www.fisu.tv. It will be a
rematch of last Saturday’s Pool B finale, won 5-3 by the Red
and White, and of a 2013 semifinal, when the Canadians prevailed
2-1 en route to capturing their fourth Universiade title. The two
powerhouses have combined to win the last six FISU tourneys, with
Canada winning two years ago and in 2007.
Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic will face off in the other
semifinal Friday at 2:30 p.m. EST.
“It was a long time in between games, so we were getting a
little anxious to play,” noted Reddick, whose five goals are
a team high and are tied for second in the tournament. “I
didn't think we came out the best, but overall the finish was what
we wanted. I didn't have my best game, I can be better. I was lucky
to get the hat-trick, but the win is more important.”
“It was an efficient win,” added Canadian and
University of Saskatchewan head coach Dave Adolph. “We gave
up a couple chances, Holfeld shuts the door, and then we managed
the game. Our captain did a real good job with three clutch goals,
and then we have some guys that keep the game pretty simple in
DePape and Maxwell, those guys were pretty good tonight.”
With three days in between that preliminary win over Russia and
Wednesday’s quarterfinal against the Americans, the Canucks
got off to a sluggish start, but Reddick opened the scoring when he
took a pass from behind the net from Koper and buried a low wrist
shot above Matt Cooper’s pad and below his glove at
17:30.
Just over one minute later, Maxwell doubled Canada’s
advantage when he walked out from the corner to Cooper’s
left, weaved through the traffic and beat the American goalie with
a deke before the sliding the puck between his leg and the
post.
“It was a good shift by the line,” said Maxwell.
“Pearce gets in deep and works hard, DePape goes to the net
and opens up the lane for me and I just tried to find a little spot
and sneak it through. I just enjoy playing with the guys and do
everything I can to help contribute to the win.”
After a scoreless second period, Reddick buried his second of the
game at 13:38 of the third, this time with a power-play backhand
from the slot, and then banked the hat-trick goal with 22 seconds
remaining, finishing off a 2-on-1 with Koper.
The win represents Canada’s sixth victory over the U.S. in as
many games in Universiade competition, as well as the second
shutout.
“Playing in CIS all year you get used to having sometime
between starts, so we're pretty comfortable with it,” said
Holfeld, who has allowed only one goal in 150:46 since the start of
the competition for a goals against average of 0.40 and a save
percentage of .972. “We've been practising every day, and
staying on the ice is the most important thing. Our guys did an
unbelievable job, I don't know what the shots were but it couldn't
have been more than 15 or 20. Anytime that happens it makes it a
lot easier on a goalie.”
Cooper was stellar in net in a losing effort, finishing with 38
saves, including 19 in the third frame.
NOTES: In 14 previous appearances at the FISU tourney, Canada has
reached the podium 13 times, including four gold medals, three
silver and six bronze... Its four triumphs came in 2013 and 2007,
when represented by AUS standouts, in 1991 (senior national team)
and 1981 (Alberta Golden Bears).
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter/2015/index
Granada 2015 website: http://www.granada2015.org/en/
TEAM CANADA
SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times local / 6 hours ahead of
EST)
Tuesday, Feb. 3 (17:00): Canada 11 South Korea 1
Thursday, Feb. 5 (17:00): Canada 7 Sweden 0
Saturday, Feb. 7 (17:00): Canada 5 Russia 3
Wednesday, Feb. 11 (20:30): Canada 4, USA 0 (quarter-final)
Friday, Feb. 13 (17:00): Canada vs. Russia (semifinal / www.fisu.tv)
Saturday, Feb. 14 (12:00): Bronze (www.fisu.tv)
Saturday, Feb. 14 (16:00): Final (www.fisu.tv)
SCORING
SUMMARY
Official boxscore
Canada 4, USA 0
FIRST PERIOD
SCORING:
1. CAN Kruise Reddick (3) (Levko Koper), 17:30
2. CAN Mitch Maxwell (1) (Jordan DePape), 18:44
PENALTIES:
Connor Schmidt (USA), checking to the head, 5:07;
Connor Schmidt (USA), 10 min misconduct, 5:07;
Elgin Pearce (CAN), slashing, 9:58.
SECOND PERIOD
SCORING:
(no scoring)
PENALTIES:
Bryce Johnson (USA), tripping, 2:36;
Joey Breslin (USA), interference, 5:16;
Cody Fowlie (CAN), high sticking, 8:47;
John-Paul Kascsak (USA), roughing, 15:24;
Kodie Curran (CAN), delay of game, 18:48.
THIRD PERIOD
SCORING:
3. CAN Kruise Reddick (4) (Kodie Curran, Levko Koper), 13:58 PP
4. CAN Kruise Reddick (5) (Levko Koper, Jordan DePape), 19:38
PENALTIES:
Jordan Rowley (CAN), cross-checking, 2:15;
Samuel Brewster (USA), tripping, 2:40;
Chris Joseph (USA), holding, 3:40;
Tyler Benson (USA), slashing, 8:35;
Bobby Bodette (USA), roughing, 11:42
Cody Cartier (CAN), roughing, 11:42.
GOALS (by period)
CAN: 2-0-2: 4
USA: 0-0-0: 0
SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
CAN: 11-10-21: 42
USA: 7-5-8: 20
POWER PLAY:
CAN: 1-7
USA: 0-3
GOALTENDERS
CAN – Ryan Holfeld (W, 2-0, 20 shots, 20 saves, 0 GA,
60:00)
USA – Matt Cooper (L, 1-2, 42 shots, 38 saves, 4 GA,
60:00)
REFEREES: Andris Ansons (LAT), Iurii Oskirko (RUS)
LINESMEN: Timo Heinonen (FIN), Anders Nyqvist (SWE)
ATTENDANCE: 4,400
START: 20:30
END: 22:36
LENGTH: 2:06
FINAL POOL
STANDINGS
Pool A
GP
W
OTW OTL
L
GF
GA PTS
1.
CZE
3
3
0
0
0
20
5 9
1.
SVK
3
2
0
0
1
21
9 6
1.
ESP
3
1
0
0
2
12
10 3
1.
CHN 3
0
0
0
3
1
30 0
Pool B
1.
CAN
3
3
0
0
0
23
4 9
2.
RUS
3
2
0
0
1
21
6 6
2.
SWE 3
0
1
0
2
6
16 2
4.
KOR 3
0
0
1
2
5
29 1
Pool C
1.
KAZ 2
1
0
1
0
5
5 4
2.
USA
2
1
0
0
1
5
5 3
3.
JPN
2
0
1
0
1
5
5 2
Scoring system:
3 points for a win in regulation
2 points for a win in overtime or shootout
1 point for a loss in overtime or shootout
Legend: W (win), OTW (OT win), OTL (OT loss), L (loss)
About the Winter Universiade
The Winter Universiade is a biennial international multi-sport
event open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28
years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants
must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution
(university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a
post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.
The Granada Universiade will feature nine compulsory sports and one
optional sport. Compulsory sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, ice
hockey, curling, nordic skiing, short track speed skating, figure
skating, synchronized skating, snowboarding. Optional sport:
freestyle skiing.
NOTE: Biathlon and nordic skiing will take place in Strbske Pleso
and Osrblie, Slovakia from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1, prior to the start of
the Games in Granada.
Official website: www.granada2015.org
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of
university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500
student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four
regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12
different sports. CIS also provides high performance international
opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer
Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships.
For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:
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