Canadian team uses three-goal surge in first period to beat Russia 6-3
Rockford, Ill.- Bill Peters is going to be bringing some more hardware with him to Rockford when he takes the helm of the IceHogs this fall.
Peters' Canadian Under-18 National Team capped a perfect run through the the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament with a 6-3 win over Russia in the Gold Medal Game on Saturday in Zimny Stadium in Piestany, Slovakia.
It is the fourth time in five years that the Canadians have won this eight-nation tournament, but first for Peters, who joined the team with a camp in Calgary in early August.
After beating the American team in an exhibition contest on Aug. 9, Peters' squad swept the preliminary round with wins over Switzerland (5-3), Sweden (5-4) and Slovakia (9-1). In the final game of the early round, the team showed a balanced attack with 16 different players recording a point. Only Louis Leblanc (Kirkland, Quebec) had a multi-point game.
Russia earned a birth in the final game with wins over USA (5-1), Czech Republic (4-2) and Finland (7-4).
With a 6-5 win over Switzerland in their final game in Breclav Arena in Breclav, Czech Republic, the American team finished seventh behind Finland (bronze), Sweden, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Season Tickets Now On Sale: The Rockford IceHogs have a variety of season ticket packages available for the 2008-09 season. To find a package that works for you, call (815) 986-6465 and speak with a season ticket sales executive.