Russia wins World U17 Challenge

05 Jan 2012 | Hockey Canada

For the first time since 2000, Russia won the gold medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, defeating the United States 7-4 in the gold medal game

Sergei Tolchinski scored a hat trick to lead the offence, including a shorthanded penalty shot goal early in the third period to make it a 4-2 game.

Valeri Nichushkin added two goals and an assist for the Russians, while Nikita Serebryakov finished with 45 saves to record his second win of the tournament against the Americans. Serebryakov stopped 96 of 102 shots in his two wins overthe U.S.; he had 51 saves in a 3-2 victory during the preliminary round.

Evan Allen, Will Butcher, J.T. Compher and Anthony Louis scored the goals for the United States, which finished as runner-up for the sixth time; it also won silver in 1994, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Earlier, Ontario won the bronze medal with a 5-2 win over Sweden. Max Domiscored twice for Ontario to lead a four-goal third period that erased a one-goal deficit after 40 minutes. Bo Horvat, Jordan Subban and Nick Baptistehad the other goals for Ontario, which won a medal for the fifth straight time atthe tournament.

Following the gold medal game, the tournament all-star team was announced, as selected by Kevin Prendergast, Hockey Canada’s head scout of the men’s Program of Excellence.

Goaltender: Nikita Serebryakov (Russia)

Defence: Gage Ausmus (United States)

Defence: Darnell Nurse (Ontario)

Forward: J.T. Compher (United States)

Forward: Victor Öhman (Sweden)

Forward: Sergei Tolchinski (Russia)