LAMSA’S HAT TRICK LEADS FINLAND TO SEVENTH PLACE WITH WIN OVER ATLANTIC

Press Release 

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. – Teemu Lämsä scored a hat trick, including the eventual game-winner, as Finland earned seventh place at the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge by beating Atlantic 8-2 on Thursday afternoon.

The seventh-place finish equals Finland’s best result in the last decade – it was also seventh in 2004 and 2011. Finland’s all-time best finish was in 1990, when it won its lone gold medal.

Manu Honkanen added two goals to the Finnish total, while Miro Mäkinen, Julius Nättinen and Joni Tuuola were the other scorers and Kasperi Kapanen chipped in with four assists.

Liam Hynes (Ferryland, N.L./The Hill Academy, Can. Prep) and Kameron Kielly (Charlottetown, P.E.I./Gatineau, LHJMQ) had the goals for Atlantic, which had its worst finish since coming ninth at the 2009 tournament in Port Alberni, B.C.

The Finns dominated the first period, outshooting Atlantic 16-5 and taking a 2-0 lead. The advantage was pushed to four early in the second before Hynes got the Canadian side on the board, although it was 5-1 after two.

Lämsä’s hat trick goal came early in the third as Finland scored its most goals in a World Under-17 Hockey Challenge since it beat Quebec 8-5 in the preliminary round in 2008.

(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)