SLEDGE DEVELOPMENT TEAM OPENS WITH SHUTOUT WIN OVER U.S.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Jeremy Booker (Ajax, Ont.) scored twice and Kris Dutkiewicz (Kitchener, Ont.) made 13 saves for the shutout as Canada’s National Sledge Development Team made its debut a successful one, shutting out the United States 5-0 on Thursday night.

Bruce Reding (Langley, B.C.) and Nicholas Tessier (Casselman, Ont.) added a goal and an assist apiece for the Canadians, who pulled away from their American rivals with five unanswered goals in the final 40 minutes.

After a scoreless first, Reding notched the team’s first-ever goal just past the eight-minute mark of the second period, finishing off a set up from Tessier. The two combined again for the 2-0 goal just over seven minutes later, this time with Tessier doing the scoring from Reding.

Up by a pair after two periods, the Canadians turned it on in the third, outshooting the Americans 16-2.

Booker, one of three players on the Canadian roster who have seen action with Canada’s National Sledge Team – along with goaltender Drew Rigden (Coldwater, Ont.) and defenceman James Gemmell (Quesnel, B.C.) – scored twice in the first 9:10 of the final frame to make it 4-0 before Ben Biermann (Ardrossan, Alta.) rounded out the scoring at 10:16.

Dutkiewicz was at his busiest in the second period, when he made eight saves.

The two teams get back to action Friday night at Bud Bakewell Arena, with puck drop set for 6:30 p.m. ET.

Goals/Buts : 
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités : 
00:18 CAN Brendan Blanchard (Holding/Retenir)
01:53 USA Jeremy Lyons (Interference/Obstruction)

Goals/Buts : 
08:02 CAN Bruce Reding (Nicholas Tessier)
15:45 CAN Nicholas Tessier (Bruce Reding)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
13:56 USA Kristina Vaughn (Roughing/Rudesse)

Goals/Buts : 
00:40 CAN Jeremy Booker
09:10 CAN Jeremy Booker
10:16 CAN Ben Biermann (Sean Gilmour)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
01:42 CAN Nicholas Tessier (Interference/Obstruction)
09:20 USA John Mollica (T-boning/Charge en T)
18:41 CAN Nicholas Tessier (Interference/Obstruction)
18:41 USA Tim Shoemaker (Roughing/Rudesse)