BRIDGES’ THREE POINTS LEAD CANADA TO OPENING WIN

CALGARY, Alta. – Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) scored twice and added an assist, Greg Westlake (Oakville, Ont.) and Kevin Rempel (Vineland, Ont.) scored two goals apiece and Canada opened the 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge with an 8-0 win over Japan on Sunday afternoon.

The win is the 100th all time for Canada’s National Sledge Team since coming under the Hockey Canada umbrella in 2004.

Westlake and Bridges scored power play goals in the first period, taking advantage of Canada’s first two opportunities with the man advantage, and Westlake and Rempel added goals in the second to give the Canadians a four-goal advantage through 40 minutes.

Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.), Rempel, Bridges and Kieran Block (Edmonton, Alta.) – with his first international goal in his Team Canada debut – rounded out the scoring in the third to keep Canada unbeaten against the Japanese at the tournament.

Dixon also added an assist, joining Bridges, Rempel and Westlake with multiple-point games.

Benoit St-Amand (St-Hubert, Que.) made eight saves for the shutout.

Canada looks to improve to 2-0 Monday when it takes on Norway (7 p.m. MT), while Japan will take on the United States in Monday’s matinee (noon  MT) at the WinSport Canada Athletic & Ice Complex.

Penalties:
   01:09 JPN 55 Kazuhiro Takahashi (Holding)
   05:46 CAN 27 Brad Bowden (Interference)
   13:29 JPN 27 Mikio Annaka (Hooking)
   19:53 CAN 12 Greg Westlake (Teeing)

Penalties:
   04:14 JPN 29 Tomohiko Maruo (Elbowing)
   12:18 CAN 25 James Gemmell (Interference)

Penalties:
   None