U SPORTS takes game two over Canada

The three-game exhibition series between Canada's World Junior camp roster and the U SPORTS select team will crown a series winner on Friday afternoon after U SPORTS took game two by a score of 5-4 on Thursday in Victoria, British Columbia. 

Fresh off of a shootout victory on Wednesday, an early first-period goal would get the game started on the right foot the Canadians. Mackenzie Entwhistle, one of the fringe players on the outside looking in to make the team, gave the coaching staff something to be happy about when, at 4:47, Josh Brook found him in the slot, with Entwhistle sending a close-range wrist shot past Ian Scott to make it 1-0 for the Canadians.

The lead wouldn’t make it into the first intermission. At 10:17, Slater Doggett would make it 1-1 after Cain Franson found him standing in front of the net, with Doggett redirecting a shot past Matthew Villalta to tie the contest at a goal each.

The second period was full of scoring and some questionable goaltending. At 14:47, Riley Sheen would give U SPORTS their first lead of the game after Hunter Garlent did most of the hard work, grabbing the puck along the boards before getting it to Sheen in the slot.

Then, in under a minute, Canada scored a pair of goals to take their lead back. Morgan Frost, who had two assists on Wednesday, would get a goal of his own after Liam Foudy got it to him at the high slot, with Frost showing why his wrist shot is so coveted by beating Scott high for the 2-2 goal.

Shortly after, Owen Tippett, who was suspended five games by the OHL on Wednesday, beat Scott after Maxime Comtois found him in a scoring spot, giving Canada the 3-2 lead.

But the U SPORTS selects team took the lead back with a pair of their own. Kris Bennett would convert on a feed by Christopher Clapperton at 18:01 in the second and Mark Simpson would tip in Clapperton's weak shot nearly a full minute later, giving U SPORTS the lead after a late-period rush.

Canada’s night wouldn’t improve. At 9:48, Garlent's shot would bounce off the end boards and would pop up to the right of the Canadian net, with Holden Cook tapping it past DiPietro to make it 5-3. Frost would score late in the game to make it 5-4, but U SPORTS would take the regulation victory.

The three-game exhibition series will come to a close on Friday afternoon when the two squads meet at 3:00 PM MT.

Follow me on Twitter, @StevenEllisNHL.

Tweets by @eurohockey