Torquato scores in U-18 exhibition opener

NEWS RELEASES

HOCKEY CANADA

*******************************

Calgary – After three practices over the past day and a half, Teams Red and White took to the ice for the first intersquad game on Sunday at the Father David Bauer Arena, as the 2006 National Summer Under-18 Team Selection Camp gets very serious.

With Head Coach Cory Clouston looking on from the press box, Team Red had a strong start, and took a 1-0 lead at 1:26, as a long shot by Brett Sonne (Maple Ridge, BC/Calgary, WHL) beat Jake Fischer (Belle River, ON/ Windsor, OHL). Team Red jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the 15 minute mark. Olivier Fortier (Quebec City, QC/ Rimouski, QMJHL) took a drop pass from Yves Bastien (Dowling, ON/ Kitchener, OHL) and beat Fischer on a great slap shot.

But Team White wasn’t about to give up, scoring twice in the final five minutes to even the score. Bryan Cameron (Brampton, ON/ Belleville, OHL) tallied on a power play at 16:17 then Brandon Sutter (Red Deer, AB/ Red Deer, WHL) made it a 2-2 game shorthanded at 19:55. The teams headed to the dressing rooms all square.

Goals came in a flurry to open the second frame. At 0:29, Logan Couture (London, ON/ Oshawa, OHL) scored on a power play for Team Red, making it 3-2. Then as that goal was being announced, Colton Sceviour (Red Deer, AB/ Portland, WHL) beat Fischer at 0:47, and Team Red had restored its two goal advantage.

At 3:54, Alex Plante found the back of the net, giving Team Red a commanding 5-2 lead. The two teams exchanged goals within a two minute span, as Zack Torquato (Sault Ste. Marie, ON/ Saginaw, OHL) scored for Team White and Dwight King (Meadow Lake, SK./ Lethbridge, WHL) tallied for Team Red, to make the score 6-3 for Team Red.

Following King’s goal, both teams changed goaltenders, with Trevor Cann (Oakville, ON/ Peterborough, OHL) taking over for Justin Leclerc (Saskatoon, SK/ Lethbridge, WHL) and Kurtis Mucha (Sherwood Park, AB/ Portland, WHL) taking over for Fischer.

At 17:13, Team White made a game of it, as Angelo Esposito (Montreal, QC/ Quebec, QMJHL) finished a terrific solo effort by getting the puck past Cann, and Team White was within two.

The third period was highlighted by scoring chances and good physical play, but there were no goals. Team Red takes the opening game 6-4.

The second intersquad game goes on Monday, at 6pm, at Calgary’s Father David Bauer. All games and practices at the National Summer Under-18 Team Selection Camp are open to the public and free of charge.

*******************************

The selection process of Canada’s National Summer Under-18 Team is officially underway. Forty-four of Canada’s top under-18 aged players hit the ice on Saturday with a common goal: to be among the twenty-two players selected by the coaching and Head Scout Jim Hammett to represent Canada at the 2006 Junior World Cup.

All the players arrived on Friday, and between registration, medicals and photos, got to take in the final Red/White game at the National Junior Team Development Camp. If any of these players needed a reminder of what is at stake for them this week, watching the top under-20 players in the country battling for attention certainly made them take notice.

On Saturday, the Red and White teams took to the ice for two on-ice sessions. Head Coach Cory Clouston and assistant coaches Dave Hunchak and Jeff Truitt set the tone, with two spirited, competitive and challenging practices.

************************************************************