Winter Universiade men’s hockey : Canada rebounds to win bronze, 14th medal in 15 FISU tournaments

GRANADA, Spain (CIS) – A day after a heartbreaking shootout loss to Russia in the semi-final, the Canadian men’s hockey team regrouped to defeat the Czech Republic 6-2 Saturday to win the bronze medal at the 27th Winter Universiade at the Granada Sport Palace.
 
Chris Collins (Calgary) from the University of Calgary scored twice in the third period to break a 2-2 tie with the Czechs, who had a heartbreaking loss of their own by a 2-1 score to Kazakhstan Friday night, and send Canada back to the medal podium in men’s hockey. In 15 appearances at the biennial tournament, Canada has now captured 14 medals: four gold (2013, 2007, 1991, 1981), three silver (2009, 2001, 1972) and seven bronze (2015, 2011, 2003, 1999, 1997, 1987, 1968).
 
The Canadian team, made up of standouts from the Canada West conference, needed a spark in the third after the Czechs had tied it up at 2-2 on a shorthanded goal that fluttered over Collins’ Dinos teammate, netminder Kriz Lazaruk (Edmonton) as the Red and White got caught running around in its own zone. The fourth line provided that in spades, scoring twice in 39 seconds to break the game open.
 
The first came less than four minutes after the Czechs had tied it when Collins, parked in front of goaltender Patrik Polivka, deflected a point shot from Matthew Delahey (Moose Jaw, Sask.) of the University of Saskatchewan.
 
Off the ensuing face-off, the same line sent it right back into the Czech zone and was rewarded again when Mitch Maxwell (Magrath, Alta.) from the University of Lethbridge walked in from the boards and beat Polivka upstairs, with Collins and Cody Fowlie (Airdrie, Alta.) of the Regina Cougars drawing assists. From there, Canada dominated possession and put the game away.
 
“I think the turning point today came off a negative,” said Canadian head coach Dave Adolph of the University of Saskatchewan. “Our power play went out and stunk up the joint in the third period, and we had trouble getting out of our zone and they score a shorthanded goal. Credit to the guys on the bench because they just weren’t going to be denied after they tied up.”
 
“We had some unsung guys get the job done for us today. Maxwell and (Jordan) DePape (Winnipeg) go out and start hitting bodies in that third period, and punt a couple of goals in to fire things up for us. That’s how good teams win, when guys step up and start making plays for you. I think if you asked Chris he’d tell you he wasn’t having the best tournament coming into today’s game, but he stepped up today and played his best game of the tournament.”
 
Collins added his second five minutes later on the power play, while his U of C teammate Kevin King (Calgary) iced the win with an empty-netter while Canada was shorthanded in the late stages. It was also King’s second goal of the night, after he opened the scoring 8:34 into the first, corralling a rebound off an initial shot by Maxwell. Fowlie had Canada’s other goal to make it 2-0 late in the first.
 
“We had to hit the reset button today and come out strong,” said Collins, a second-year forward. “We didn’t quite play a full 60 minutes today, but we got the result. We just said ‘next shift let’s get back to basics’, and that’s something we’ve been working on every game at this tournament. Getting pucks to the goal line, keeping it simple, and that’s what we did today in the third period, and we got some goals of out it.”
 
After taking a 2-0 lead through the first, Canada escaped the second period after killing off a trio of late penalties, including a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage for the Czechs, and led 2-1. Milan Valasek scored the first tally for the Czech Republic early in the first, while Daniel Arnost had the shorthanded marker in the third.
 
Collins and King wrapped up the Winter Universiade tied for the team lead with five goals in the tournament along with team captain Kruise Reddick (Manor, Sask.) That trio, along with Reddick’s University of Alberta teammate Levko Koper (Edmonton) each recorded eight points in six games in Granada.
 
“After the tough loss last night, we didn’t want to leave empty handed,” said Reddick, who also captains the Alberta Golden Bears. “I’m so proud of the guys and how they battled all tournament, it’s the not the medal we came here to get but it’s still pretty special to go home with one and I’m glad we got it.”
 
The bronze brings Canada’s final medal total in Granada to five podium finishes: two silver (women’s hockey, women’s curling) and three bronze (Eve Routhier in women’s slalom, women’s 3000-metre short track relay, and men’s hockey).
 
NOTES: Canada went 1-for-6 on the power play against the Czechs and was perfect in six penalty killing situations to finish atop the tournament with a PK efficiency of 93.6% (2 goals allowed in 31 PKs)... Canada’s four triumphs in Universiade men’s hockey came in 2013 and 2007, when represented by AUS conference standouts, as well as in 1991 (senior national team) and 1981 (Alberta Golden Bears).
 
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter/2015/index 
Granada 2015 website: http://www.granada2015.org/en/ 
                                                                                                                                   
TEAM CANADA SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times local / 6 hours ahead of EST)
 
Tuesday, Feb. 3 (17:00): Canada 11 South Korea 1
Thursday, Feb. 5 (17:00): Canada 7 Sweden 0
Saturday, Feb. 7 (17:00): Canada 5 Russia 3
Wednesday, Feb. 11 (20:30): Canada 4, USA 0 (quarter-final)
Friday, Feb. 13 (17:00): Russia 3, Canada 2 SO (semifinal)
Saturday, Feb. 14 (12:00): Canada 6, Czech Republic 2 (bronze)
Saturday, Feb. 14 (16:00): Russia vs. Kazakhstan (final / www.fisu.tv)
 
SCORING SUMMARY
 
Official boxscore
 
Canada 6, Czech Republic 2
 
FIRST PERIOD
 
SCORING:
 
1. CAN Kevin King (4) (Mitch Maxwell), 8:34
2. CAN Cody Fowlie (1) (Elgin Pearce, Kevin King), 14:50
 
PENALTIES:
 
Jordan Rowley (CAN), hooking, 0:18;
Jan Muller (CZE), holding the stick, 0:18;
Kruise Reddick (CAN), tripping, 9:21;
Petr Hucko (CZE), unsportsmanlike conduct, 16:25.
 
SECOND PERIOD
 
SCORING:
 
2. CZE Milan Valasek (2) (Petr Skoloud), 3:49
 
PENALTIES:
 
Matthew Delahey (CAN), tripping, 1:17;
Rostislav Vanek (CZE), holding, 9:02:
Cody Cartier (CAN), roughing, 11:44;
Kevin King (CAN), hooking, 12:43;
Kendall McFaull (CAN), tripping, 15:41;
Josef Kolda (CZE), hooking, 18:40.
THIRD PERIOD
 
SCORING:
 
3. CZE Daniel Arnost (3) (Dominik Novak), 2:42 SH
4. CAN Chris Collins (4) (Matthew Delahey, Jordan DePape), 6:38
5. CAN Mitch Maxwell (2) (Chris Collins, Cody Fowlie), 7:17
6. CAN Chris Collins (5) (Neil Manning, Luke Paulsen), 52:23 PP
7. CAN Kevin King (5), 57:32 SH / EN
 
PENALTIES:
 
Josef Kolda (CZE), high sticking, 41:06;
Dominik Steiner, high sticking, 43:39;
David Zachar (CZE), hooking, 51:53;
Tyler Fiddler (CAN), closing hand on puck, 56:39.
GOALS (by period)
CAN: 2-0-4: 6
CZE: 0-1-1: 2
 
SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
CAN: 14-7-14: 35
CZE: 16-13-5: 34
 
POWER PLAY:
CAN: 1-6
CZE: 0-6
 
GOALTENDERS
CAN – Kris Lazaruk (W, 2-1, 34 shots, 32 saves, 2 GA, 60:00)
CZE – Patrik Polivka (L, 4-2, 34 shots, 29 saves, 5 GA, 59:07)
CZE – Empty net (0:53)
 
REFEREES: Andris Ansons (LAT), Iurii Oskirko (RUS)
 
LINESMEN: Gjermund Lorentsen (NOR), Soo Jun Park (KOR)
 
ATTENDANCE: 700
 
START: 12:00
END: 14:10
LENGTH: 2:10
 
FINAL POOL STANDINGS
 
Pool A
                     GP         W         OTW    OTL        L          GF       GA       PTS
1. CZE             3          3          0          0          0          20        5          9
1. SVK             3          2          0          0          1          21        9          6
1. ESP             3          1          0          0          2          12        10        3
1. CHN             3          0          0          0          3          1          30        0
 
Pool B
1. CAN             3          3          0          0          0          23        4          9
2. RUS             3          2          0          0          1          21        6          6
2. SWE             3          0          1          0          2          6          16        2
4. KOR             3          0          0          1          2          5          29        1
 
Pool C
1. KAZ             2          1          0          1          0          5          5          4
2. USA             2          1          0          0          1          5          5          3
3. JPN              2          0          1          0          1          5          5          2
 
Scoring system:
3 points for a win in regulation
2 points for a win in overtime or shootout
1 point for a loss in overtime or shootout
 
Legend: W (win), OTW (OT win), OTL (OT loss), L (loss)
 
About the Winter Universiade

The Winter Universiade is a biennial international multi-sport event open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.
 
The Granada Universiade will feature nine compulsory sports and one optional sport. Compulsory sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, ice hockey, curling, nordic skiing, short track speed skating, figure skating, synchronized skating, snowboarding. Optional sport: freestyle skiing.
 
NOTE: Biathlon and nordic skiing will take place in Strbske Pleso and Osrblie, Slovakia from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1, prior to the start of the Games in Granada.
 
Official website: www.granada2015.org
 
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
 
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:
 
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