CANADA TUNES UP FOR GOLD MEDAL GAME WITH 5-1 WIN OVER NORWAY

In what was essentially a dress rehearsal for Saturday night’s gold medal game at the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship, Canada’s National Sledge Team got three points apiece from Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON) and Bradley Bowden (Orton, ON) in a 5-1 win over Norway, wrapping up a perfect round robin on Friday night.

The same two teams will meet Saturday for the world title – the third consecutive major international tournament in which the two nations have met for the top prize. Canada holds a 2-0 advantage over the Norwegians, taking home gold from the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games and 2007 World Sledge Hockey Challenge.

Both teams entered the game undefeated, but it was the Canadians who controlled the play in the opening period, outshooting Norway 11-3 overall.

Despite being down a man, Canada struck first when Todd Nicholson (Kinburn, ON) created a turnover in the Norwegian zone and found Marc Dorion (Bourget, ON), who beat goaltender Roger Johansen for a 1-0 Canadian lead just 3:59 in.

Canadian special teams struck again later in the period, as sharp-shooting defenseman Adam Dixon (Midland, ON) picked up his third goal in two games on a powerplay, sending Canada to the intermission up by a pair of goals.

Rolf Einar Pederson gave the Norwegians life at the midway point of the middle frame, snapping a shot from the wing past Canadian netminder Paul Rosen (Thornhill, ON) to cut the lead in half, but Bowden would restore the two-goal lead just five minutes later, pouncing on a loose puck near the Norwegian goal and registering his third goal of the world championship.

Westlake added a pair of goals in the third period to leave no doubt as to the final outcome, as Canada topped Norway for the fifth time in six games during the 2007-08 season.

The seventh meeting will be the one that counts, however, as Canada looks for its second world title, to join the 2000 gold medal won in Salt Lake City, while Norway seeks its second straight world championship, having won the 2004 gold in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.

The puck will drop at 7:00 p.m. ET time on Saturday night, with live game updates available only at www.hockeycanada.ca.

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Final

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Goals/Buts :
CAN - Marc Dorion (Todd Nicholson) 3:59 SH
CAN - Adam Dixon 7:46 PP

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN - Raymond Grassi (Charging/Assaut) 3:21
NOR - Helge Bjoernstad (Elbowing/Donner de coude) 5:56
NOR - Stig Tore Svee (Holding/Retenir) 6:14
CAN - Jean Labonté (Charging/Assaut) 14:33
CAN - Billy Bridges (Rudesse) 15:00
NOR - Rolf Einar Pederson (Roughing/Rudesse) 15:00

Goals/Buts :
NOR – Rolf Einar Pederson (Kjell Vidar Royne) 7:36
CAN – Bradley Bowden (Greg Westlake) 12:32

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Raymond Grassi (T-boning) 1:09
NOR – Rolf Einar Pederson (Charging/Assaut) 4:54
CAN – Hervé Lord (Interference/Obstruction) 8:42
CAN – Billy Bridges (Crosschecking/Double-Échec) 11:16
NOR – Stig Tore Svee (Roughing/Rudesse) 11:16
CAN – Billy Bridges (Elbowing/Donner de coude) 14:52

Goals/Buts :
CAN – Greg Westlake (Bradley Bowden) 7:21
CAN – Greg Westlake 2 (Bradley Bowden) 10:15

Penalties/Pénalités :
NOR – Rolf Einar Pederson (Crosschecking/Double-Échec) 8:03

CAN Roster/Alignement

NOR Roster/Alignement

1 roger johansen g
33 rolf einar pedersen d
4 tommy rovelstad d
7 eskii hagen f
8 stig tore svee f
9 morgen vaernes f
11 helge bjoernstad f
12 johan siqveland d
13 kjell vidar royne d
16 knut helge nordstoga f
17 loyd remi johansen f
22 audun bakke f

Manager: kent robert nyholt
Head coach: morten haglund
Asst coach: eyvind kristiansen