Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

HOCKEY CANADA WJAC SEMIFINALS MEDIA RECAP

Photo credit: Robert LefebvreHockey / Canada Images

Canada East 4Canada West 1

  • Matthew Cato (Whitby, Ont./Trenton, OJHL) led the way with two goals for Canada East.
  • Ryan Johnstone (Pickering, Ont./Pickering, OJHL) and Massimo Gentile (Pointe-Claire, Que./Ottawa, CCHL) also scored.
  • Liam Watkins (Okotoks, Alta./Spruce Grove, AJHL) scored for Canada West, his tournament-leading fifth goal.
  • Ethan Morrow (Kingston, Ont./Wellington, OJHL) made 37 saves for the win.

United States 4, Sweden 3

  • Erick Pohlkamp scored two power-play goals for the United States to tie Watkins with five goals in the tournament.
  • Cole Knuble scored the game-winning goal with 11:10 remaining.
  • Edvin Nilsson, Tom Willander and Anton Wahlberg scored for Sweden.
  • Jacob Fowler made 16 saves for the win.

Next games – Sunday, December 18:

  • Bronze medal game: Sweden vs. Canada West – 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • Gold medal game: Canada East vs. United States – 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Quotes:

“We played a very sound, structured game. We were tenacious on the forecheck and good in our defensive zone. It was an outstanding game played and we got some great goaltending; that is how you win hockey games. If we can continue to play the way that we did today, we have a shot [in the gold medal game]. You have got to get to the gold medal game, and when you get to it anything can happen. We are looking forward to tomorrow.”

  • Canada East head coach Billy McGuigan (Summerside, P.E.I./Summerside, MHL) on playing for gold.

“It was a great game; 38 shots sounds like a hard night, but my team was moving bodies out front, blocking shots and we had a good all-around game. It was not the outcome we wanted the last three games, but good teams find a way to win when it matters, that is what counts. I have never had the opportunity [to play for a gold medal] so it is going to be a lot of fun.”

  • Morrow on finding success with his teammates in big games.

“Not the result we wanted. We got behind the eight ball early and chased the game trying to get some offence going. We ran into a hot goalie [in Morrow] today who stood on his head. [Erick] Roest played well on our end to keep things tight early. The experience we have had being together for the last two weeks, the relationships that have been made and the pride that we have playing for each other means there is a lot to play for tomorrow.”

  • Canada West head coach Justin Falk (Snowflake, Man./Winkler, MJHL) on getting behind early.

“We battled hard at the end. Unfortunate [result], but I thought our boys put a lot of heart and effort today. We need to regroup tomorrow, come back and have that winning mentality when fighting for a bronze medal.”

  • Canada West captain Watkins on playing for a bronze medal.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada will broadcast the bronze medal and gold medal games from the Cornwall Civic Complex; please check local listings for details.