RIGA, Latvia – The 2006 U.S. Men’s National Team dropped a 2-1 decision to Canada tonight at Arena Skonto in the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship. Team USA finished Preliminary Round play with a 2-1-0 record and in second place in Pool D. The Americans will next face Finland on Friday (May 12) in their first game of the Qualifying Round. Opening faceoff is set for 8:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m. EDT) at Arena Riga.
“We got great goaltending and overall I thought we played a pretty good hockey game,” said U.S. Head Coach Mike Eaves (Madison, Wis.). “We need to capitalize on our chances better, that’s all.”
Team USA opened a 1-0 advantage after the opening period, thanks to a goal line tap-in by forward Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./University of Minnesota.). Drew Stafford(Milwaukee, Wis./University of North Dakota) started the play with an up-ice feed out of his own zone that connected with Jim Slater (Petoskey, Mich./Atlanta Thrashers/Michigan State University), who drove in and fired from the right circle. The puck trickled through the legs of Canada netminder Alex Auld before Kessel pushed it in.
Canada evened the game after 40 minutes when Sidney Crosby beat Team USA netminder Jason Bacashihua (Garden City, Mich./St. Louis Blues) between the legs on a backhand shot in close.
Team Canada scored the game-winner on the power play at 7:44 when Brendan Shanahan scored in tight off the rebound of a Mike Cammalleri shot.
Bacashihua made 28 saves, while Auld recorded 18 stops for Canada.
NOTES: Team USA scored a first period goal for the first time in this year’s World Championship … Team USA killed two lengthy five-on-three Canadian power plays, one in the first period and one in the second period … All Team USA games at the IIHF World Championship can be heard live on usahockey.com … R.J. Umberger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Philadelphia Flyers/The Ohio State University) is injured and did not play tonight … Goaltender Jason Bacashihua was named Team USA’s Player of the Game … Team USA will practice tomorrow at 3 p.m. local time. Team members are scheduled to attend a reception sponsored by the U.S. embassy in Riga tomorrow night.
GAME SUMMARY
USA 1-0-0 -- 1
CAN 0-1-1 -- 2
First Period – Scoring: USA, Kessel (Slater, Stafford), 13:53. Penalties: USA, Suter (tripping), 3:51; USA, Alberts (tripping), 6:12; CAN, Auld (tripping), 10:14; USA, Reasoner (roughing), 15:26.
Second Period – Scoring: 2, CAN, Crosby (Bergeron), 9:01. Penalties: CAN, Hamhuis (holding), 6:06; CAN, Schultz (hooking), 6:31; CAN, Stuart (roughing), 8:14; USA, Malone (roughing), 8:14; USA, Malone (slashing), 11:09; USA, Komisarek (interference), 12:47; CAN, Richards (interference), 16:02; USA, Malone (slashing), 16:46; USA, Suter (cross-checking), 17:06.
Third Period – Scoring: 3, CAN, Shanahan (Cammalleri, Williams), 7:44 (pp). Penalties: USA, Orpik (kneeing), 6:41; CAN, Calder (slashing), 8:14; CAN, Stuart (interference), 10:56; CAN, Stuart (interference), 19:45.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 5 9 5 19
CAN 9 12 9 30
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Bacashihua, 60:00 9-9 12-11 9-8 30-28
CAN, Auld, 60:00 5-4 9-9 5-5 19-18
Power Play: USA 0-7, CAN 1-8
Penalties: USA 9-18, CAN 8-16
Officials: Referee-Jari Levonen; Linesmen-Leo Takula, Tobias Wehrli
Attendance: 4,553