2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

WHITE SCORES TWICE TO LEAD U.S. OVER QUEBEC IN U17 EXHIBITION

by Jason La Rose

LOUISDALE, N.S. – Colin White had a pair of goals and added an assist to lead the American offence as the United States handed Quebec a 6-2 defeat in pre-tournament play Saturday night ahead of the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The exhibition contest was a rematch of last year’s bronze medal game, won 4-3 by the U.S.

Auston Matthews, Dennis Yan, Luke Kirwan and Jeremy Bracco also had goals for the Americans, who scored three times in the second period and three times in the third to erase an early 1-0 deficit.

Kirwan and Bracco joined White with three-point performances; they each added two assists to their goal. Matthews was the only other multiple-point U.S. skater, finishing with a goal and a helper.

Anthony Beauvillier (Sorel, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) and Nicolas Roy (Amos, Que./Chicoutimi, QMJHL) scored for Quebec, which gave up two power play goals in three U.S. opportunities and was outshot 35-30.

The Canadians hit the scoreboard first off the stick of Beauvillier just 5:12 in, but the Americans would score the game’s next four goals to take control of the game.

White tied the game 1:27 into the middle frame, Matthews gave the Americans their first lead at 5:13, and Yan doubled it nine-and-a-half minutes later, capping a dominant U.S. period.

After White’s second goal of the game pushed the American advantage to 4-1 early in the third period, Roy got one back just 12 seconds into a power play, but that would be as close as Quebec would get.

Kirwan and Bracco, on a final-minute man advantage, scored in the last 10 minutes to round out the scoring.

Quebec opens its tournament Sunday night (7 p.m. AT) in North Sydney, N.S., against Pacific in the day’s lone all-Canadian match-up, while the U.S. kicks off its schedule with a Sunday matinee (2 p.m. AT) in Port Hawkesbury, N.S., against the Russians.