AUBÉ-KUBEL SCORES TWICE, QUEBEC OPENS WITH WIN OVER ATLANTIC

VICTORIAVILLE, QUE. – Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (Sorel, Que./Val-d’Or, LHJMQ) scored twice in the second period to pace the offence as Quebec opened the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 5-2 win over Atlantic in an all-Canadian match-up on Saturday night.

It was Quebec’s first game on home ice at the U17 tournament since the 1994 event in Amos, Que. The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge originated as the Quebec Esso Cup and was hosted in the province in 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1994.

Julien Nantel (Laval, Que./Laval-Montreal, LHMAAAQ), Anthony Richard (Trois-Rivières, Que./Trois-Rivières, LHMAAAQ) and Nicolas Hébert (Longueuil, Que./Rimouski, LHJMQ) had the other goals for Quebec, which beat Atlantic in its tournament opener for the third year in a row.

Jonathan Deschamps (Trois-Rivières, Que./Sherbrooke, LHJMQ) joined Aubé-Kubel as the only Quebec skaters with multiple points, picking up two assists.

Clark Bishop (St. John’s, N.L./Cape Breton, LHJMQ) scored both goals for Atlantic, both coming on the power play. The loss was the seventh in a row for Atlantic in its opening game, dating back to 2005.

Quebec is off Sunday, returning to the ice Monday night in a marquee match-up with the United States in Victoriaville (7:30 p.m. ET) to close out 2012, while Atlantic has a quick turnaround, facing the U.S. on Sunday afternoon at the Colisée (1:30 p.m. ET).