Team Ontario wins gold at U-17 Hockey Challenge

Three Sudbury Wolves will head home from Winnipeg this week with gold medals hanging from their necks. Rookies Brody Silk and Mathew Campagna and athletic therapist Dan Buckland were part of Team Ontario, the champions of this year's World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

After going undefeated through the preliminary round, Team Ontario met up with the United States, also with a perfect 5-0 record — in the final game. The win marked Ontario's third gold medal in four years, and avenged the 2-1 loss handed down by the same team last year in Timmins.

Trading goals in the first 10 minutes of play, Ontario jumped out to a 3-1 lead heading into the second period. Midway through the second frame, the U.S. cut the lead to one with the sole goal of the period, tying the game up one minute into the final 20 minutes of play.

Sean Monahan cashed in his second marker of the game for Team Ontario at the 7:13 mark, pushing the game to 4-3. While Monahan gave the team the game-winner, it was Campagna who really stole the spotlight, according to a press release on hockeycanada.ca.

After a teammate was injured on the breakaway, Campagna stepped up to take the penalty shot, with more than 12,000 standing and cheering before he even touched the puck, the release stated.

“Unfazed by the noise, Campagna swung wide to the right, cut to the net and, after getting (U.S. goalie Jared) Rutledge moving the wrong way, tucked the puck around the American goaltender with one hand.”

The Ontarians maintained their lead for the remaining four minutes of play, capturing the victory 5-3.