2018-19 National Para Hockey Team

CANADA BLANKS KOREA AT PARA WORLDS

QUINTON AMUNDSON

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic – Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, Ont.) registered a goal and an assist each to lead Canada’s National Para Hockey Team to a 4-0 win over South Korea on Tuesday at the 2019 IPC World Para Hockey Championship.

Zach Lavin (Okotoks, Alta.) and Liam Hickey (St. John’s N.L.) also lit the lamp for Canada, which assured itself of a spot in the semifinals on Friday (time to be confirmed).

Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que) was only required to have the answer for a single shot in the first period to earn the shutout. Canada peppered Korean netminder Jae Woong Lee with 15 shots.

The Koreans were determined to frustrate the Canadians by leveling numerous checks in the first five minutes. Canada was more than up for the challenge as Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I) delivered a couple of thundering hits of his own in response.

McGregor broke through the Koreans’ defensive pressure to score the opening goal at 5:50 of the first period, storming up the middle of the ice to rifle a shot from the right circle that sailed underneath the sled of Lee.

After receiving a silky cross-ice pass from Westlake, Lavin increased Canada’s lead to 2-0 with 1:04 remaining in the first with a low shot from the left wing that breezed past an off-angle Lee.

Hickey made the score 3-0 near the midway mark of the second period with a dazzling shorthanded breakaway goal that saw him break Lee down with a lightning-fast series of dekes before depositing the puck into the top half of the net.

Westlake struck on the power play at 4:16 of the third period, pounding the puck into the net from the slot after receiving a tape-to-tape centring pass from McGregor.