2015 World Sledge Hockey Challenge

MCGREGOR SCORES TWICE, CANADA WINS WSHC BRONZE

JASON LA ROSE

LEDUC, Alta. – Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) had two goals and an assist, leading Canada’s National Sledge Team to a 4-1 win over Korea in Saturday’s bronze medal game at the 2015 World Sledge Hockey Challenge.

It’s the eighth time in as many years Canada has won a medal at the tournament, although it’s the first time that medal wasn’t gold or silver.

Derek Whitson (Chatham, Ont.) and Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.) also scored for the Canadians, who broke open a 1-1 game with three unanswered goals en route to their 11th win in 11 games against the Koreans.

Jong-Kyung Lee had the lone goal for Korea, which finished winless for the second year in a row.

McGregor got the scoring started at 3:37, taking a perfect cross-ice pass from Kevin Rempel (Vineland, Ont.) and quickly snapping a shot past a sprawling Man-Gyun Yu for an early 1-0 lead.

But the Koreans drew even late in the first period; Young-Jae Cho fed a streaking Lee, who sped past the Canadian defenceman and tucked the puck around goaltender Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que,), who made his first-ever start in the Canadian goal.

Outshot 5-4 in the opening 15 minutes, Canada came out with the momentum in the second, and retook the lead when Whitson’s point shot eluded Yu at 3:41.

McGregor got his second of the game at 9:50, beating Yu along the ice from a sharp angle, and Dixon made good on a Canadian power play at 13:40, going under his sled before rifling a left-handed shot over Yu.

Larocque was solid in the third, when the Koreans pushed to get back in the game, making six of his 11 saves.

Chris Cederstrand (Martensville, Sask.) and Kevin Sorley (Petersburg, Ont.) each recorded their first points with Team Canada, picking up assists on goals by McGregor and Dixon, respectively.

The Canadians will next face the United States in a three-game series in March before the 2015 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship gets underway April 24 in Buffalo, N.Y.