JONES’ HEROICS LEAD CANADA WEST TO COMEBACK WIN

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Kellen Jones (Montrose, B.C./Vernon, BCHL) scored the game-winning goal with one second remaining and then potted the only goal of the shootout as Canada West earned a 3-2 pre-tournament win over Belarus on Thursday night at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

Jones’ goal at 19:59 of the third period completed the Canadian comeback in the final 10 minutes after Mikalai Susla and Kiryl Brykun had scored shorthanded goals in the second period to give Belarus a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes.

Cam Reid (Delta, B.C./Westside, BCHL) had the other goal for Canada West, which outshot Belarus 49-20 but took more than 50 minutes to put a puck behind Belarussian netminder Stanislau Artynski. Reid’s goal came on the Canadian side’s ninth power play of the game; it finished 1-for-11 while giving up the two shorthanded markers.

The European side will travel to Amherst, N.S. to wrap up its pre-tournament schedule against the MJAHL all-stars on Friday night (7:30 p.m. AT), while Canada West will face the United States in Montague, P.E.I. (8 p.m. AT).