

RUSSIANS SCORES TWO LATE, COME BACK TO EDGE WHITE IN U17 EXHIBITION
JASON LA ROSE
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Vasily Podkolzin scored on the power play with 1:57 to go, finishing a late comeback and giving Russia a 3-2 pre-tournament win over Canada White on Thursday in advance of the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
With the Canadians holding onto a one-goal lead in the dying minutes, Aleksandr Chernyi tied the game at 13:45 before Podkolzin buried a set-up from Daniil Gutik to give Russia the lead for good.
Egor Spiridonov opened the scoring for the Russians in the first period, before Jake Lee (Sherwood Park, Alta./Seattle, WHL) and Nicholas Porco (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont,/Saginaw, OHL) countered to give White the advantage.
The Canadians finished with a 33-24 edge in shots on goal. Taylor Gauthier (Calgary, Alta./Prince George, WHL) and Jonathan Lemieux (Beloeil, Que./Val-d’Or, QMJHL) split the goaltending duties for White – Gauthier stopped 11 of 12 before giving way to Lemieux, who allowed two goals on 12 shots.
Russia opens its tournament schedule Sunday night (7 p.m. MT) against Sweden in Fort St. John, while Canada White faces Canada Black in the curtain-raiser in Dawson Creek (2:30 p.m. MT).
Name | Team | Mins | SA | SVS | GA | SV% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taylor Gauthier | CAN-W | 31 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0.917 |
Jonathan Lemieux | CAN-W | 27 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.833 |
Vsevolod Skotnikov | RUS | 60 | 33 | 31 | 2 | 0.939 |