WIN OVER HOSTS SENDS CANADA TO GOLD MEDAL GAME

NAGANO, Japan – Canada’s National Sledge Team will play for gold at the 4 Nations tournament after a 3-1 win over the tournament hosts on Thursday at Big Hat Arena.

Greg Westlake scored twice to lead the way offensively for Canada, who scored a pair of goals early in the third period to break open a tight game. Billy Bridges chipped in with a goal and two assists in the win.

Early on it was the Japanese who came out strong, outshooting Canada 8-2 in the opening period. But Canadian netminder Benoit St-Amand turned aside everything he faced, sending the game to the first intermission scoreless.

Westlake would open the scoring midway through the second period as Canada turned it on in the middle frame, firing 11 shots at Japanese goaltender Mitsuru Nagase to just three for Japan.

Westlake’s second goal of the game 26 seconds into the third period made it 2-0 and Bridges scored Canada’s third goal five minutes later to finally put away a pesky Japanese side, which has quickly become one of the world’s top teams.

Takayuki Endo ended St-Amand’s shutout bid with just under five minutes to go, scoring the lone goal for Japan, who will now face Norway in Friday’s bronze medal game.

Canada will take on the United States in Friday’s gold medal game (4:30 a.m. EST/1:30 a.m. EST) in a rematch of Tuesday’s tournament opener, won 1-0 by the Americans.

Goals/Buts :
NO SCORING / AUCUN BUT

Penalties/Pénalités :
04:15 JPN Mitsuru Nagase (Interference/Obstruction)
12:43 CAN Raymond Grassi (T-boning/Charge en T)
13:43 CAN Billy Bridges (Elbowing/Donner du coude)
14:59 JPN Takayuki Endo (T-boning/Charge en T)

Goals/Buts :
06:42 CAN Greg Westlake (Billy Bridges)

Penalties/Pénalités :
07:07 JPN Takayuki Endo (Holding/Retenir)
09:05 CAN Raymond Grassi (Holding/Retenir)
10:08 CAN Mark Noot (Roughing/Rudesse)
11:26 JPN Mamoru Yoshikawa (T-boning/Charge en T)

Goals/Buts :
00:26 CAN Greg Westlake (Billy Bridges)
05:56 CAN Billy Bridges
10:42 JPN Takayuki Endo (Daisuke Uehara)

Penalties/Pénalités :
09:17 JPN Kazuhiro Takahashi (Holding/Retenir)
09:56 CAN Mark Noot (Holding/Retenir)