NORWAY HANGS ON FOR SLIM WIN

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Team Norway has moved on to the final of the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge – but just barely.

Norway edged the United States 3-2 in a game that decided Canada’s opponent for Saturday’s final at the CARI Complex.

It appeared Norway was going to skate away with an easy victory after scoring a pair of goals in the first period and one in the second to take a 3-0 lead into the final frame.

But the US came on strong in the third, with Bubba Torres and Jim Connelly scoring two goals in one minute 28 seconds to make it 3-2. The final few minutes of the game were largely spent in Norway’s zone but the United States couldn’t tie the game. Norway’s Roger Johansen made several key saves down the stretch.

Rolf Pedersen, Helge Bjoernstad and Tommy Rovelstad scored for Norway, which lost 2-0 to Canada on Wednesday in the only other meeting between the two rivals at the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge.

Saturday’s gold medal game, scheduled for 4 p.m. AST (5 p.m. EST), can be seen live via webcast at www.hockeycanada.ca.