NORWAY STARTS FAST IN WIN OVER JAPAN

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Rolf Pedersen and Helge Bjoernstad combined for all of Norway’s goals in its 8-0 win over Japan on Tuesday to open the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge.

Pedersen, Norway’s player of the game, and Bjoernstad each had four goals as Norway kicked off its attempt to improve on its silver medal at the 2007 sledge challenge.

Norway started the scoring early, when Bjoernstad took a nice feed from Pedersen and snapped a shot past Japanese goaltender Shinobu Fukushima at 2:09 of the first. Pedersen then scored back-to-back goals in less than two minutes and Norway led 3-0 after the first period.

Bjoernstad scored a pair of goals in the second and he added his fourth and final in the third. Pedersen also notched two goals in the third period.

Norway outshot Japan 16-12.

Norway reached the final of the 2007 World Sledge Hockey Challenge in Kelowna, BC, only to lose 1-0 to Canada.