2006-07 National Men's Under-18 Team

CANADA FINISHES OFF ROUND ROBIN WITH SOLID 4-1 WIN OVER SLOVAKIA

Piestany, Slovakia – Canada went into its final game at the Junior World Cup knowing that it had advanced to the Championship game, but looking to complete a perfect round robin facing the host team from Slovakia.  Canada probably had its best game to date, as Bryan Cameron (Brampton, ON/ Belleville, OHL) led the offense with two goals and Canada skated to a 4-1 win over Slovakia.

For the first time to date in the tournament, Canada opened the scoring.  Tyler Ennis (Edmonton, AB/ Medicine Hat, WHL) set up Brett Sonne (Maple Ridge, BC/ Calgary, WHL) at 14:57.  Slovakia evened the score at 1-1 at 15:33, as Lukas Vartovnik took a feed in the slot and put a quick shot past starting goaltender Trevor Cann.

Cann only faced five shots in that first period as Canada outshot Slovakia 23-5.  But Cann made an enormous save late in the period off Martin Stepan that kept the game even at 1-1 going into the second period.

Canada took control of the game with two goals in a span of 33 seconds midway through the second period.  At 8:28, Yves Bastien (Dowling, ON/ Kitchener, OHL) got the initial shot and Logan MacMillan (Winsloe, PE/ Halifax, QMJHL) banged home the rebound into an open net.  Then at 9:01, Cameron scored his first of two as Canada took a 3-1 lead through forty minutes of play.

Justin Leclerc (Saskatoon, SK/ Lethbridge, WHL) took over for Cann in net for the third period, and was perfect.  Cameron added another insurance goal, as he was credited with his second of the game at 0:41 of the final period, when a Slovak defenceman inadvertently put the puck past his own goaltender.

Thomas Hickey (Calgary, AB/ Seattle, WHL) was named the Player of the Game for Canada, after a stalwart effort on the blue line.

Canada will face the USA in the Championship Game, as the new tournament format has both Group winners advancing directly to the Championship Game.  USA also had a perfect 3-0-0 record through the round robin, with their final win coming in a 4-3 overtime win over the host of Group A, the Czech Republic.