SIX POINTS FROM BRIDGES HELPS CANADA REMAIN PERFECT AT WORLDS

Billy Bridges (Summerside, PE) scored his second hat trick in as many games and added three assists, figuring in on all of Canada’s goals, as the National Sledge Team doubled up Germany 6-3 on Sunday at the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship in Marlborough, MA.

Canada took advantage of a slow start by the Germans to jump out to a 3-0 first period lead and never looked back in moving to 2-0 at the world championship.

Bridges opened the scoring just shy of the four-and-a-half-minute mark, taking a pass from Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON), beating a German defender by sliding the puck under his sled and snapping a quick shot over the glove of German goaltender Rolf Rabe.

After combining for 11 points in Canada’s tournament-opening 11-0 win over Italy on Saturday, Canada’s big line of Bridges, Westlake and Bradley Bowden (Orton, ON) continued their torrid pace, as Bridges, from Bowden, and Westlake, from Bridges and Bowden, scored before the end of the opening 15 minutes, giving the line seven points in the first period.

The Germans came out with more jump in the middle frame, and got on the board at the 5:24 mark as Bas Disveld connected on a German powerplay, the first goal allowed in the tournament by Canadian netminder Paul Rosen (Thornhill, ON).

Germany held a 5-3 shots on goal advantage in the second period, more shots than Canada allowed in the full 45 minutes against Italy on Saturday.

Canadian captain Jean Labonté (Hull, QC) needed just 33 seconds of the third period to restore Canada’s three-goal lead, and the teams traded goals in the final 11 minutes to round out the scoring.

Adam Dixon (Midland, ON), with his first of the world championship, and Bridges, with his hat trick goal, scored for Canada, while Sebastien Kessler and Jorg Wedde replied for the Germans.

The world championship takes a day off on Monday before everyone returns to the ice for Tuesday action. Canada will look to improve to 3-0 when they take on Japan at 4:30 p.m. ET at the New England Sports Center.

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Final

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Goals/Buts :
CAN – Billy Bridges (Greg Westlake) 4:26
CAN – Billy Bridges 2 (Bradley Bowden) 10:37 SHG
CAN – Greg Westlake (Billy Bridges, Bradley Bowden) 12:34

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Jean Labonté (Holding/Retenir) 5:05
CAN – Graeme Murray (Holding/Retenir) 8:48
GER – Jorg Wedde (Interference/Obstruction) 13:19

Goals/Buts :
GER – Bas Disveld (Sebastien Kessler) 5:24 PP

Penalties/Pénalités :
GER – Robert Pabst (T-boning) 1:37
CAN – Mark Noot (Interference/Obstruction) 4:34
GER – Robert Pabst (Holding/Retenir) 9:13
GER – Bench (Too Many Men) 12:07

Goals/Buts :
CAN – Jean Labonté (Billy Bridges, Greg Westlake) 0:33
GER – Sebastien Kessler (Jorg Wedde, Udo Segreff) 3:59 PP
CAN – Adam Dixon (Billy Bridges, Greg Westlake) 4:34 PP
CAN – Billy Bridges 3 (Bradley Bowden, Jean Labonté) 10:24
GER – Jorg Wedde (Sebastien Kessler) 10:50

Penalties/Pénalités :
CAN – Herve Lord (T-boning) 3:00
GER – Jorg Wedde (Charging/Assaut) 4:29
CAN – Raymond Grassi (Roughing/Rudesse) 7:03
GER – Udo Segreff (T-boning) 7:03
CAN – Greg Westlake (Roughing/Rudesse) 10:24
GER – Udo Segreff (Charging Major/Assaut) 10:24
GER – Udo Segreff (Game Misconduct/Inconduite de match) 10:24
CAN – Jean Labonté (T-boning) 12:09
GER – Sven Stumpe (Holding/Retenir) 13:33
GER – Jorg Wedde (Charging/Assaut) 14:32

CAN Roster/Alignement

GER Roster/Alignement

3 bas disveld f
5 marco lahrs d
8 frank renback f
9 rolf rube g
10 gerd bleidorn f
12 matthias koch d
20 sebastian kessler f
22 rolf-Dieter kessler g
55 sven stumpe f
69 thorsten ellmer f
77 jorg wedde d
83 christian pilz f
96 robert pabst d
99 udo segreff d

Coach: michael gursinsky
Coach: wolfgang kempe