CANADA STILL PERFECT AT SLEDGE HOCKEY WORLDS AFTER WIN OVER JAPAN

Three different players scored goals and seven picked up a point as Canada’s National Sledge Team won their third straight game at the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship, topping Japan 3-1 on Tuesday night in Marlborough, MA.

The Japanese, who played Canada tough in a 2-0 loss just two months ago in Japan and topped the tournament hosts from the USA 5-1 on the first day of the championship, came out with jump, but were unable to capitalize on a pair of early scoring opportunities.

After surviving the early pressure Canada got on the board at the 5:01 mark, as Graeme Murray (Gravenhurst, ON) pushed the puck past goaltender Mitsuru Nagase after a scramble in the Japanese crease, with Shawn Matheson (Chatham, NB) picking up the lone assist.

The Canadians were the ones applying the pressure to begin the second period, and it took just 21 for the big line to strike, as Billy Bridges (Summerside, PE) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON) set up Bradley Bowden (Orton, ON) for his first goal of the world championship and a 2-0 lead.

With the Japanese on the powerplay near the midway point of the middle frame and threatening to cut the lead in half, veteran Todd Nicholson (Kinburn, ON) converted shorthanded to give Canada a little extra breathing room, up 3-0 heading to the third period.

Japan was finally able to beat Paul Rosen (Thornhill, ON) early in the third period, as Satoru Sudo’s seeing-eye shot from the point eluded the Canadian netminder, but that would be as close as they would come.

Canada held a 15-11 advantage in shots on goal, the third straight game they have outshot the opposition.

They’ll look to make it four in a row, and continue their unbeaten run through the world championship, when they face the USA on Wednesday night (8:00 p.m. ET).

CAN Roster/Alignement

JPN Roster/Alignement

8. Eiji masawa. D
10 takayuki endo d
13 mamoru yoshikawa f
17 makoto majima f
18 toshiyuki nakamura f
21 shinobu fukushima g
23 naohiko ishida d
24 satoru sudo d
27 mikio annaka f
32 daisuke uehara f
39 mitsuru nagase g
55 kazuhiro takahashi f
59 noritaka ito f

Head coah: kojin nakakita
Asst. Coach: yoshihiro aoki
Secretary general: sachiko koyama

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Final

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Goals/Buts :
CAN – Graeme Murray (Shawn Matheson) 5:01

Penalties/Pénalités :
JPN – Mikio Annaka (Interference/Obstruction) 7:52
JPN – Satoru Sudo (Interference/Obstruction) 10:08
CAN – Graeme Murray (Holding/Retenir) 13:05

Goals/Buts :
CAN – Bradley Bowden (Billy Bridges, Greg Westlake) 0:21
CAN – Todd Nicholson (Marc Dorion) 6:57 SH

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Hervé Lord (T-boning) 3:40
CAN – Billy Bridges (Interference/Obstruction) 6:12
CAN – Greg Westlake (Charging/Assaut) 14:04
JPN – Satoru Sudo (T-boning) 14:40

Goals/Buts :
JPN – Satoru Sudo (Eiji Misawa, Naohiko Ishida) 3:02

Penalties/Pénalités :
JPN – Takayuki Endo (T-boning) 5:58
CAN – Billy Bridges (Elbowing/Donner du coude) 7:31
CAN – Billy Bridges (Interference/Obstruction) 14:14
JPN – Mamoru Yoshikawa (T-boning) 14:43