2014-15 National Sledge Team

CANADA SETTLES FOR SILVER AT SLEDGE WORLDS AFTER LOSS TO U.S.

JASON LA ROSE

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Corbin Watson (Kingsville, Ont.) was spectacular, finishing with 18 saves, but Canada’s National Sledge Team finished with the silver medal at the 2015 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship after a 3-0 loss to the United States in Sunday’s final.

It’s the first time Canada has even won silver at the world championship; its all-time medal total now includes three gold (2000, 2008, 2013), one silver (2015) and three bronze (1996, 1999, 2012).

The vaunted Canadian offence, which had scored a tournament-high 27 goals in four games entering the gold medal game, went quiet against the Americans, managing just eight shots on goal.

The first period was a back-and-forth affair, with both Watson and U.S. counterpart Steve Cash making point-blank saves to keep the game scoreless through the opening 15 minutes.

Canada failed to register a shot on Cash in the second period, although it had arguably the best chance; Canadian captain Greg Westlake (Oakville, Ont.) beat Cash to a loose puck at the top of the face-off circle, but his shot at the open net went mere inches wide, sending the game to the third period still scoreless.

The Americans finally broke through three minutes into the final frame when Declan Farmer found himself with time and space in the slot, going low on Watson to put the U.S. up 1-0.

Dan McCoy made it 2-0 at 7:16, taking a perfect pass from Adam Page and beating a sprawling Watson, and Josh Pauls found the empty net with 22.4 seconds to go to finish the scoring.

Watson was named Top Goaltender after posting a 0.80 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and three shutouts in five starts, while Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) won the tournament scoring title with 13 points (9-4—13).