KOBE, JAPAN -- Jason MacDonald of Charlottetown, PEI scored at 12:32 of the third period to lift Canada's National Men's Hockey Team to a 3-2 victory over the Japanese National Team in the second game of a five- game series between the two hockey clubs on Monday.

The victory improved Canada's season series won-lost-tied record to 2-1-2, with three games remaining between the two teams.

Trevor Gallant of London, ON and Craig MacDonald of Antigonish, NS also scored for Canada, which opened its five-game tour of Japan on Sunday with a 3-3 tie against Team Japan. The Japanese club is the same group that will compete for Japan in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano next month. Steve Tsujuira and Kiyoshi Fujita scored the goals for Japan.

Over the last two seasons, Canada's National Team has played 15 games against the Japanese National Team, which has tapped into Canadian Hockey's expertise to help it prepare for the 1998 Winter Olympic hockey tournament. Former Canadian National Team and Olympic Team coach Dave King, now an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens, has served as a special consultant to the Japanese Ice Hockey Federation, and will work with the Japanese National Team during the Olympics.

The two National teams are scheduled to play again on Wednesday in Nagoya, and close out the series with a pair of games in Tokyo on Friday and Sunday.