The final game of the IIHF U18 Worlds DIIA pitted an undefeated host Italy against an undefeated Great Britain, with the latter having entered the final contests without having allowed a goal against all tournament long.
Put shortly, you couldn’t have scripted a better way to wrap up a tournament!
With roughly 1600 spectators in attendance the night before Easter Sunday, it was clear that hockey night in Asiago was on, and the game proved to be everything those in attendance could wish for.
Both teams entered the contest playing the kind of test and prod hockey that showed that neither wanted to be guilty of making the first mistake. Great Britain likely had the better part of puck possession and even threw the better share of hits over the first 10 minutes of play, also getting several good looks during a powerplay in the sixth minute of play in which one Italian defender lost his stick for a good portion of the penalty kill.
Unfortunately for the red, white, and blue, key contributor Jordan O’Brien had to leave the game with a lower body leg injury after a collision in his zone shortly after the 11 minute mark, when Italian forward Samuele Trenti seemed to want to take issue with O’Brien having checked him into a stanchion just moments before.
This altercation certainly didn’t lead to the contest becoming any less intense.
Despite a close call when a Robert Hendeson shot off the rush beat Italian goalie Filippo Mantonti only to then hit the post, the first period would end scoreless, meaning Great Britain had played 13 straight periods of hockey without letting in a single goal against.
The second period picked up right where the first period left off, but over the first 10 minutes of play, it became more and more noticeable that Italy was enjoying more offensive zone time and creating more high-quality chances. Then it finally happened at minute 29:02, when Lorenzo Ferretti picked up the puck in his own zone, raced down the ice, and then fed linemate Matia Lenta with a crisp cross-ice pass, who proceeded to wrist a rocket of a shot over the far shoulder of goaltender Alfie Blakeley.
The dam had been broken.
And is often the case when any team is as dominant defensively as Great Britain had been throughout this event, that first goal against changed everything.
Not even two minutes later, a puck that was sent into the British slot and then batted around a couple of times, ended up on the…
Put shortly, you couldn’t have scripted a better way to wrap up a tournament!
With roughly 1600 spectators in attendance the night before Easter Sunday, it was clear that hockey night in Asiago was on, and the game proved to be everything those in attendance could wish for.
Both teams entered the contest playing the kind of test and prod hockey that showed that neither wanted to be guilty of making the first mistake. Great Britain likely had the better part of puck possession and even threw the better share of hits over the first 10 minutes of play, also getting several good looks during a powerplay in the sixth minute of play in which one Italian defender lost his stick for a good portion of the penalty kill.
Unfortunately for the red, white, and blue, key contributor Jordan O’Brien had to leave the game with a lower body leg injury after a collision in his zone shortly after the 11 minute mark, when Italian forward Samuele Trenti seemed to want to take issue with O’Brien having checked him into a stanchion just moments before.
This altercation certainly didn’t lead to the contest becoming any less intense.
Despite a close call when a Robert Hendeson shot off the rush beat Italian goalie Filippo Mantonti only to then hit the post, the first period would end scoreless, meaning Great Britain had played 13 straight periods of hockey without letting in a single goal against.
The second period picked up right where the first period left off, but over the first 10 minutes of play, it became more and more noticeable that Italy was enjoying more offensive zone time and creating more high-quality chances. Then it finally happened at minute 29:02, when Lorenzo Ferretti picked up the puck in his own zone, raced down the ice, and then fed linemate Matia Lenta with a crisp cross-ice pass, who proceeded to wrist a rocket of a shot over the far shoulder of goaltender Alfie Blakeley.
The dam had been broken.
And is often the case when any team is as dominant defensively as Great Britain had been throughout this event, that first goal against changed everything.
Not even two minutes later, a puck that was sent into the British slot and then batted around a couple of times, ended up on the…
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