2014-15 National Sledge Team

BRIDGES SCORES TWICE, CANADA BLANKS NORWAY AT SLEDGE WORLDS

JASON LA ROSE

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) had two more goals – giving him five in two games – and Canada’s National Sledge Team posted its second shutout in as many days at the 2015 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship, blanking Norway 5-0 on Monday.

Through its first two games, Canada has 10 more goals (22) than shots allowed (12).

Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.), Greg Westlake (Oakville, Ont.) and Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) all scored first-period goals for the Canadians. Dixon finished with a goal and two assists, while Ben Delaney (Ottawa, Ont.) and Brad Bowden (Orton, Ont.) added two helpers apiece.

Corbin Watson (Kingsville, Ont.) earned his second straight shutout, making six saves.

Coming off a 12-goal first period in its tournament-opening rout of Japan on Sunday, Canada again took an early lead, with Dixon showing tremendous patience before beating Norwegian goaltender Kjell Christian Hamar along the ice at 5:37 of the opening frame.

Westlake made it 2-0 on the power play just 63 seconds later, finishing a perfect feed from Bowden, and McGregor absolutely roofed a shot from in tight at 12:00 to put Canada up by three after 15 minutes.

Bridges got his first midway through the second period, picking up a loose puck in the face-off circle to the right of Hamar before dancing through a couple of Norwegians and tucking the puck around the goaltender.

Canada’s all-time leading scorer added his 153rd career goal very late in the third, playing give-and-go with Dixon on a two-on-none before sneaking a backhand past Hamar to finish the scoring.

Through two games, Canada occupies the top seven spots in the tournament scoring race, with Westlake (6-4—10), Bowden (3-7—10) and Bridges (5-3—8) holding down positions one through three.