CANADA HOLDS OFF NORWAY IN BATTLE OF RIVALS

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Team Canada head coach Jeff Snyder said the Canada-Norway rivalry was in full force on Wednesday night.

Sledge hockey fans at the CARI Complex took note of that as well.

Canada’s National Sledge Team came to play on Wednesday, scoring a pair of goals during a physical, fast, sometimes fierce first period, en route to a 2-0 win over Norway.

Canada is 2-0 at the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, with Norway at 1-1.

“The fierceness of the rivalry was evident from the start,” Snyder said after the game. “There was a lot of intensity on both sides.”

Billy Bridges of Summerside, PEI scored his second goal in as many games when he deflected a Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON) shot at 6:14 of the first period. Canada’s second goal came at 14:08 on a highlight-reel play by Bradley Bowden (Orton, ON). Bowden streaked down the left side and snapped the puck top shelf past Norwegian goaltender Roger Johansen.

Canada maintained the lead through a slower second and into the third. Norway came on in the final frame, thanks in part to a 5-on-3 power play, which included a five-minute major to Raymond Grassi (Windsor, ON).

“That was a huge part of the game,” Snyder said of Canada’s penalty kill midway through the third. “If they get one goal, they’re right back in the game.”

Canada has now clinched a berth in Saturday’s gold medal game, which will take place at 4 p.m. AST. Canada, which faces Japan on Thursday in the third and final round-robin game for both teams, will face either Norway or the United States in the final.