WESTLAKE HEROICS FORCE OVERTIME, BUT CANADA FALLS IN SHOOTOUT

TORONTO, Ont. – Same scenario, same score, different result for Canada’s National Sledge Team.

Less than 24 hours after scoring a 2-1 shootout win over the United States, the Canadians found themselves on the wrong end of that scoreline, coming up short in a four-round shootout on Friday afternoon.

Canadian captain Greg Westlake (Oakville, Ont.) was the regulation time hero, scoring with 59.9 seconds remaining to force extra time, and Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.) made it 2-for-2 in shootout attempts, but shootout goals from Taylor Chace and Nikko Landeros gave the Americans the win.

After Canada opened the scoring in Thursday’s series opener it was the U.S. who scored first on Friday as Alexi Salamone roofed a shot past Canadian netminder Corbin Watson (Kingsville, Ont.) just shy of the 14-minute mark of the opening period.

Despite chance after chance after chance for Canada over the last two periods, it appeared Salamone’s goal would stand up as the winner until Westlake took a pass from Dixon and snuck it past American goaltender Steve Cash to draw even with Watson on the bench for an extra attacker.

After the first two shooters missed for each team, Dixon beat Cash for the second day in a row, only to see Chace, the American captain, put one past Watson. Canada’s Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) was next, but his rocket rang off the crossbar, setting up Landeros to net the winner.

The series concludes Saturday night at the MasterCard Centre, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Penalties:
01:54 CAN 12 Greg Westlake (Boarding)

Penalties:
12:38 USA 15 Nikko Landeros (Interference)

Penalties:
None

Goals:
None

Penalties:
None