Skille, USA Open World Juniors with Win
December 27, 2005 | Men's Hockey
Badger Jack Skille (Madison, Wis.) collected the game-winning goal as Team USA opened the 2006 IIHF World Junior Championship with an 11-2 victory over Norway in Vancouver, British Columbia on Monday.
'It was a good start,' said U.S. Head Coach Walt Kyle, who is guiding the U.S. National Junior Team for the third time in his career. 'I thought we got better as the game progressed and we'll definitely use this game as something to build on.'
The game featured virtually every situation imaginable, thanks in part to 32 penalties and 28 power plays between the teams. Team USA had 16 of those power plays and cashed in four times.
The United States opened a 3-0 lead at the end of one period. T.J. Oshie (Everett, Wash./Warroad, Minn.) staked Team USA to a 1-0 lead at 2:19 of the first, as he stepped through a Norway defender off the faceoff and beat Ruben Smith between the legs along the ice. The United States extended its advantage to 2-0 at 12:22 when Erik Johnson's (Bloomington, Minn.) shot from the center point dribbled between Smith 's legs. The power play marker was set up by Robbie Schremp (Fulton, N.Y.) and Peter Mueller (Bloomington, Minn.). The United States finished the first period scoring with a four-on-three power play goal at 17:30, as Jack Skille (Madison, Wis.) moved down the center slot around a Norwegian defender and fired a shot off the glove of Smith and in. Erik Johnson, who had a goal and two assists on the night, drew the lone assist on the play.
Team USA outshot Norway 23-6 in the middle stanza and scored five times to take control of the game. Bourque scored three times, while Mueller and captain Kevin Porter (Detroit, Mich.) each tallied once.
Schremp scored once and Bourque twice in the third to cap a night that saw Team USA score the most goals it has in an IIHF World Junior Championship game since a 19-1 win over Norway in 1991.
United States netminder Cory Schneider (Marblehead, Mass.) finished with 17 saves to pick up the victory. Norway's Smith and Lars Haugen combined for 44 saves.
Team USA next faces Finland on Wednesday (Dec. 28).
