DIXON DOES IT IN SHOOTOUT FOR CANADA

VANCOUVER, BC – Adam Dixon will be the answer to a trivia question one day.

The Midland, ON native might be known from here on out as the sledge hockey player who scored for Canada in a shootout to beat the United States in the first-ever nationally-televised sledge hockey game in Canada.

Dixon scored on U.S. goaltender Steve Cash with Canada’s fifth shot in a gold medal game that was watched by 1,812 people live at UBC Thunderbird Arena and a national TV audience on TSN2 as Canada topped the U.S. 2-1 to win the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup on Sunday night.

Paul Rosen (Thornhill, ON) stopped all five U.S. shooters to earn the win in net.

Canada got off to a great start when Graeme Murray (Gravenhurst, ON) scored at the 7:46 mark of the first period, snapping a quick shot to the top corner past Cash, bringing the pro-Canadian crowd at UBC Thunderbird Arena - the largest to watch a sledge game live in Canada - to its feet.

The second period was scoreless, but not for a lack of chances. Rosen was forced to make a number of saves to keep his team ahead going into the third as the Americans held a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal in the frame.

The United States finally solved Rosen just shy of the seven-minute mark of the final period, as Jimmy Connelly's point shot eluding the Canadian netminder with the U.S. enjoying a power play, a goal that eventually forced overtime.

Canada had the bulk of the scoring chances in the 4-on-4 extra period, but Cash was up to the task and made a number of great stops for the Americans to take the game to a shootout.

Billy Bridges (Summerside, PEI) had the best chance of the shootout for the Canadians, firing a rocket from the slot that beat Cash but rang off the crossbar. After Dixon converted on Canada's fifth chance, Rosen turned away American Chris Manns, clinching Canada's third gold medal in as many tournaments this season.