Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/15/12
Recent Hill School graduate Brennan Donville made 11 saves to help Team Canada defeat USA, 11-9, Saturday in the second day of U19 pool play at the FIL World Championships in Turku, Finland.
The loss was the first for the US (1-1) after 37 straight victories in International competition. Team Canada is coached by Taylor Wray, head coach at St. Joseph’s University and a popular member of the Philadelphia Wings.
Steve Pontrello (St. Augustine Prep, North Carolina) scored once in overtime for the US, who rallied from three goals down in the final quarter to tie the game and force overtime.
But Canada tallied the final three goals in the two 4-minute OT periods. Donville, headed to Cornell, played the whole way and made several key saves.
Canada improves to 2-0 in pool play and plays at 1 p.m. Finland time (6 a.m. EST) today against the Iroquois (1-0). The U.S. (1-1) faces England at 7 p.m. (noon EST) today, and now faces a scenario of playing the Iroquois in the tournament semifinals if expectations hold.
The U.S. tied the game in the final quarter on goals by Sean Mahon, Matt Kavanagh (2 goals, 2 assists) and Danny Eipp, the last of which came on a two-man up situation with 9:28 left in regulation. Chad Tutton (2 goals) put Canada back ahead 8-7, but Ryan Tucker (2 goals, 1 assist) tied the game again with just 38 seconds remaining in the fourth off a Kavanagh pick.
Pontrello scored from Kavanagh on a man-up play with 1:21 left in the first extra-period to put the U.S. up 9-8. Charlie Raffa won the faceoff in the second OT, but the U.S. was called for offsides and Canada regained possession.
Wes Berg (2 goals) tied it at 9 and drew a penalty at the end of the scoring play, and Tutton put Canada up 10-9 just 22 seconds later.
“It’s great to move past that milestone,” Wray said to US Lacrosse, “but we felt we were going to be competitive heading into this thing.”
Canada’s Zach Currier won the ensuing faceoff on procedure, and Reilly O’Connor (2 goals) clinched it with another goal.
“Our guys did a nice job of tying them up and scrapping for ground balls,” Wray said to US Lacrosse. “For us, face off is a ground ball between two competitors. We’re going to get in there and we’re going to scrap and fight and hopefully win the majority of the possessions.”
Canada 11, USA 9, OT
CAN 3 3 1 1 0 3 – 11
USA 1 2 1 4 1 0 – 9
Goals: CAN – Litner 2, Berg 2, O’Connor 2, Tutton 2, Comeault 1, King 1, Tinney 1; USA – Kavanagh 2, Tucker 2, Mahon 2, Buczek 1, Eipp 1, Steve Pontrello (St. Augustine Prep) 1
Assists: CAN – Evans 2; USA – Kavanagh 2, Tucker 1, Eipp 1, Leonard 1
Saves: CAN – Brennan Donville (Hill School) 11; USA – Oliveri 7, Turri 4
