2007 World Junior A Challenge

Belarus 3, Canada West 7

CAPTAIN LEADS CANADA WEST THROUGH TO SEMI-FINAL

A hat trick by team captain Casey Pierro-Zabotel in the third period for Canada West set aside a fiery and determined Belarussian side, as Canada West ended up winning 7-3 and earned a berth in the semi-finals. Canada West faces USA in Nelson on Saturday in one semi-final.

The game had barely started, when Mike Connolly (Calgary, AB/ Camrose) opened the scoring. At 0:54, Connolly fired a shot through a screen past Belarussian goaltender Valeriy Pronin to give Canada West an early lead. Canada West took a two-goal lead while on two-man power play later in the first. Tommy Brown (Prince Albert, SK/ Melfort, SJHL) fired a low, hard shot on net, and Andrew Cherniwchan (Hinton, AB/ Drayton Valley, AJHL) pushed the rebound past Pronin.

Belarus cut into Canada West’s lead in the second frame. Brad Eidsness made the first save, but couldn’t handle the rebound, and Artem Demkov pushed into the net. That 2-1 score held into the third period, but Canada West couldn’t hold back the pesky Belarussians.

At 8:30, Demkov got his second of the evening, a goal that came following a mad scramble in front of Eidsness.

Belarus ran into penalty trouble moments later. With two players in the penalty box, Pierro-Zabotel scored his first of three straight Canadian goals, tipping in a pass from Chad Ziegler in the slot. Less than three minutes, Pierro-Zabotel had goal number two, banking the puck off a Belarus defenceman.

Belarus made it 5-3, on a Sergei Sheleg goal.

Pierro-Zabotel’s third goal of the night, which came at 17:08 of the third period, was on a power play.

Connolly, with his second of the night, and Russell Goodman added markers for Canada West to make the final 7-3.

Frustration set in with two minutes left. A scurmish ensued in one corner of the ice after a bodycheck, and eventually three players were ejected by the officiating crew.

Canada West now moves to Nelson for Saturday’s semi-final match-up against the USA.

Game Information
Game Number 07 Round Qualification
Arena Cominco Arena City, Country Trail, B.C.
Month / Day / Year 11/08/2007 Time 07:30 PM PT
Attendance 1237 Game Status Final

Box Score 1 2 3 Total
Belarus (BLR) 0 1 2 3
Canada West (CAN W) 2 0 5 7

Goals/Penalties
First Period

Goals: 
   00:54 CAN W 20 Mike Connolly (6 Jeff Forsythe, 12 Joe Colborne) PP 
   11:06 CAN W 11 Andrew Cherniwchan (21 Tommy Brown, 17 Casey Pierro-Zabotel) PP2 

Penalties: 
00:44 BLR 24 Dmitry Korobov (Roughing) 
02:51 BLR 8 Sergei Kopylets (10-Minute Misconduct) 
02:51 BLR 8 Sergei Kopylets (Checking from Behind) 
07:10 CAN W 4 Derek Robinson (Hooking) 
10:22 BLR 22 Pavel Dashkov (Holding) 
10:31 BLR 12 Sergei Sheleg (High Sticking) 
11:06 BLR 13 Andrei Kolosov (Cross Checking) 
18:01 CAN W 18 Zac Dalpe (Interference) 
20:00 CAN W 17 Casey Pierro-Zabotel (Roughing) 
Second Period

Goals: 
   01:28 BLR 15 Artem Demkov (10 Pavel Razvodovski, 24 Dmitry Korobov) PP 

Penalties: 
07:58 BLR 21 Aleksei Golubev (Holding Opp. Stick) 
11:34 CAN W 20 Mike Connolly (Hooking) 
14:07 CAN W 7 Damon Kipp (Interference) 
14:07 CAN W 26 Brett Hextall (Holding) 
16:03 BLR 13 Andrei Kolosov (Slashing) 
19:48 BLR 19 Vladimir Mikhailov (High Sticking) 

 
Third Period

Goals: 
   08:30 BLR 15 Artem Demkov PP 
   09:51 CAN W 17 Casey Pierro-Zabotel (27 Chad Ziegler) PP 
   11:41 CAN W 17 Casey Pierro-Zabotel 
   13:53 CAN W 17 Casey Pierro-Zabotel (6 Jeff Forsythe) PP2 
   15:35 BLR 12 Sergei Sheleg (22 Pavel Dashkov) 
   17:08 CAN W 20 Mike Connolly (12 Joe Colborne, 26 Brett Hextall) PP 
   17:36 CAN W 25 Russell Goodman (27 Chad Ziegler, 8 Trevor Nill) PP 

Penalties: 
02:05 BLR 24 Dmitry Korobov (Hooking) 
06:25 CAN W 8 Trevor Nill (Hooking) 
07:26 CAN W 21 Tommy Brown (Slashing) 
09:02 BLR 28 Yuri Eliseenko (10-Minute Misconduct) 
09:02 BLR Team (Bench - Coach) 
09:02 BLR 28 Yuri Eliseenko (Holding) 
12:27 BLR 8 Sergei Kopylets (Roughing) 
12:36 BLR 14 Aleksandr Pavlovich (Boarding) 
15:43 BLR 22 Pavel Dashkov (Boarding) 
17:16 BLR 15 Artem Demkov (Elbowing) 
17:16 BLR 15 Artem Demkov (Game Misconduct) 
17:36 BLR 10 Pavel Razvodovski (Game Misconduct) 
17:36 BLR 10 Pavel Razvodovski (Major - Cross Checking) 
18:13 BLR 13 Andrei Kolosov (Match - Fighting) 
18:13 BLR 17 Nikita Komarov (Match - Fighting) 
18:13 CAN W 15 Brooks Robinson (Match - Fighting) 
18:13 CAN W 10 Ryan Magill (Unsportsmanlike Cnd.) 
18:13 BLR 6 Dmitry Shumski (Game Misconduct) 
18:13 BLR 26 Andrei Stas (Game Misconduct) 
18:13 BLR 12 Sergei Sheleg (Cross Checking) 

Goaltenders
Belarus 31 Valeriy Pronin On 1/00:00 Off 3/20:00
Canada West 1 Bradley Eidsness On 1/00:00 Off 3/20:00

Shots on Goal 1 2 3 Total
Belarus 7 8 9 24
Canada West 11 7 21 39

Player of the Game
Belarus 15 Artem Demkov
Canada West 17 Casey Pierro-Zabotel