BRIDGES AND MURRAY LEAD CANADA TO WIN IN SERIES OPENER VS. USA

Billy Bridges (Summerside, PE) and Graeme Murray (Gravenhurst, ON) each scored twice as Canada’s National Sledge Team opened their three-game series with the USA with a 6-2 win on Thursday night in Park City, Utah.

Bridges added two assists, while Shawn Matheson (Chatham, NB) and Jeremy Booker (Ajax, ON) also scored for the Canadians, who jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the host Americans on their way to the victory.

After a scoreless first period, Matheson got the visitors on the board first, converting a pass from Hervé Lord (St-Pamphile, QC) for a 1-0 Canadian lead; that lead became 2-0 just 49 seconds later, as Lord picked up his second assist of the period by setting up Booker, who beat American goaltender Steve Cash.

Murray rounded out the scoring in a dominant middle frame for the Canadians, beating Cash at the 13:21 mark. The goal chased the American goaltender from the net, as he was replaced by Mike Blabac for the final period.

The goaltending change didn’t stop the Canadian offense, which ran its lead to 4-0 on Bridges’ first goal just 2:52 into the third period.

The Americans finally put two pucks past Canadian goaltender Paul Rosen (Thornhill, ON) to slice the lead in half, with Alexi Salamone and Michael Hallman scoring just 2:01 apart, but Murray and Bridges both added their second goals of the game in the final five-and-a-half minutes to restore the four-goal lead and put the game out of reach.

Canada finished with a commanding 37-14 advantage in shots on goal, and will look to clinch a series win in the second game of the three-game set on Friday night. The puck will drop in Park City at 7:00 p.m. MT.

Canada Lineup

3 Hervé Lord (F)
7 Marc Dorion (F)
8 Jeremy Booker (F)
9 Dany Verner (F)
10 Shawn Matheson (F)
11 Adam Dixon (D)
17 Jean Labonté (D)
18 Billy Bridges (F)
19 Todd Nicholson (F)
21 Raymond Grassi (D)
22 Benoit St-Amand (G)
27 Brad Bowden (F)
29 Graeme Murray (F)
34 Mark Noot (D)
57 Paul Rosen (G) (starting)

USA Lineup

67 Steve Cash (G) – starting
27 Mike Blabac (G) – played 3rd period
17 Michael Hallman (D)
4 Jimmy Connelly (D)
44 Chris Manns (D)
3 Tim Jones (D)
23 Nick Teodoro (D)
25 Bubba Torres (F)
7 Taylor Lipsett (F)
26 Taylor Chace (F)
20 Adam Page (F)
5 Brad Emmerson (F)
21 Alexi Salamone (F)
8 Greg Shaw (F)
15 Josh Moran (F)
22 Bruce Nelson (F)
9 John Bryan (F)

1

2

3

Final

0

3

3

6

0

0

2

2

Goals/Buts :
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités :
3:59 – Canada – 3, slash
4:12 – USA – 25, charge
7:35 – USA – 5, int.
9:15 – Canada – 9, int.

Goals/Buts :
4:26 – Canada – 10/3/21
5:15 – Canada – 8/3
13:21 – Canada – 29/18

Penalties/Pénalités :
1:08 – USA – 23, hold
6:15 – Canada – 19, int.

Goals/Buts :
2:52 – Canada – 18/19 PP
4:53 – USA – 21/20
6:54 – USA – 17 PP
9:26 – Canada – 18/19/29
12:46 – Canada – 29/18

Penalties/Pénalités :
2:45 – USA – 22, high stick
6:23 – Canada – 17, delay of game
7:10 – USA – 21, roughing
13:06 – Canada – 29, roughing