AGOZZINO NOTCHES PAIR IN ONTARIO WIN

London, ON – The host team opened the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a win on Saturday night at the John Labatt Centre.

Andrew Agozzino, a native of Kleinburg, ON and member of the OHL’s Niagara Icedogs, scored two goals, including the game-winner, as Team Ontario beat Team Pacific 4-2. Ontario led 3-0 after two periods, but Pacific came on in the third to make a game of it.

Ryan Ellis (Hamilton, ON/Windsor, OHL) opened the scoring with a blast from the point at 14:17 of the first period, which brought a large crowd to its feet.

Less than three minutes later, Taylor Hall, another member of the Spitfires who is from Kingston, jammed in a loose puck off a goal-mouth scramble to make it 2-0.

It remained that way until 15:26 of the third, when Agozzino scored his first, finishing a beautiful play set up by Matthew Duchene (Haliburton, ON/Brampton, OHL) and Ontario captain Ryan O’Reilly (Varna, ON/Erie, OHL).

Pacific got on the scoreboard at 2:51, when Evander Kane (Vancouver, BC/Vancouver, WHL) scored his first goal of the tournament. Ontario, though, made it 4-1 at the midway mark of the period on Agozzino’s second of the game.

Pacific cut the deficit to two goals when Dillon Wagner (Keephills, AB/Drayton Valley, AJHL) beat Ontario goaltender Michael Zador (Burlington, ON/London, OHL).

Ontario had the edge in shots by a 36-14 count.

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge continues on Sunday, with the highlight matchup being a game of undefeated teams. Ontario takes on Finland at 7 p.m. ET at the John Labatt Centre.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Mason Wilgosh (East St. Paul, MB/Tri-City, WHL), Jimmy Bubnick (Saskatoon, SK/Kamloops, WHL) and Brayden Schenn (Saskatoon, SK/Brandon, WHL) scored for Team West in its 3-2 triumph over Germany.

Marc Kohl and Andreas Baumer scored for Germany.