FABBRI, VIRTANEN LEAD JUNIORS TO CAMP WIN OVER CIS SELECTS

WENDY GRAVES

TORONTO, Ont. – Robby Fabbri (Mississauga, Ont./Guelph, OHL) scored twice, Jake Virtanen (Abbotsford, B.C./Calgary, WHL) added three assists and 14 other players found their way on to the scoresheet Saturday night as Canada defeated the CIS Toronto Selects 10-3 at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp.

Brayden Point (Calgary, Alta./Moose Jaw, WHL), Michael Dal Colle (Vaughan, Ont./Oshawa, OHL) and Dillon Heatherington (Calgary, Alta./Swift Current, WHL) had a goal and an assist each.

Canada also got goals from Nick Ritchie (Orangeville, Ont./Peterborough, Ont.), Lawson Crouse (Mount Brydges, Ont/Kingston, OHL), Madison Bowey (Winnipeg, Man./Kelowna, WHL), Morgan Klimchuk (Calgary, Alta./Regina, WHL) and Travis Sanheim (Elkhorn, Man./Calgary, WHL).

Zachary Fucale (Rosemère, Que./Halifax, QMJHL) made 23 saves in the win.

The CIS Toronto Selects – comprised of players from York University, University of Toronto and Ryerson University – got goals from Alex Basso, Mark Cross and Domenic Alberga. Michael Fine added two assists.

After a day of travel and two days of practice, the Canadian junior hopefuls were ready for game action and wasted no time getting on the board. Ninety seconds in Canada had registered five shots on net and the first goal of the game. Among a pile of players in front of a crowded crease, it was Ritchie finding the loose puck.

The Selects were able to slow Canada’s momentum and even briefly took it with a power play goal halfway through the first. But Crouse, one of only two 17-year-olds on the camp roster, restored his team’s lead with a wrist shot from the point. Less than two minutes later, Point skated in from the side of the net and swept a forehand low to the glove side.

The second period saw the game open up even more. The teams combined to score four goals in just over two-and-a-half minutes, with the highlight being Fabbri’s first of the night. The forward took the puck through the face-off circle and fought off two defenders to fire home a wrist shot from the slot.

After the Selects got one back 23 seconds into the third, the floodgates opened for good, as Canada found the back of the net four more times to close out the game. 

Canada fired 57 shots on the CIS’s trio of goaltenders – Troy Passingham, Michael Nishi and Chris Perugini – the last one being Sanheim’s goal with two seconds left in the game.

The two teams face off again Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT) at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

• Team Canada game roster
• Team Canada game lineup