Canada's sledge hockey team opened up its gold medal defence at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, with a 4-0 win over Italy in preliminary round play on Saturday.
Greg Westlake of Oakville Ont. scored two goals in the third period to lead the way. His first was fired just under the cross bar before bouncing back out of the Italian net, and it required a official review before being deemed a goal. Westlake's second goal came just minutes later on a set-up by Brad Bowden of Orton, Ont., who was playing in his 100th-career international game.
Canadian coach Jeff Snyder said Westlake was the best player on the ice in the opener.
"I think he kind of took the team on his shoulders there in the third period and said, 'Hey look, we've got to win this game,"' said Snyder.
"He's not afraid to take the team on his shoulders, he wants that responsibility. And I think he's emerging into that kind of player."
Captain and Paralympic flagbearer Jean Labonte also scored in the third period, as he blasted one off the helmet of Italian netminder Santino Stillitano and right into the net.
Marc Dorion of Bourget, Ont. scored Canada's first goal in the first period before the sold-out crowd at UBC Thunderbird Arena. He fed the puck out front of the net and it deflected off an Italian defender and into the net. Billy Bridges of Summerside, PEI, earned the assist. His goal gave Canada a 1-0 lead which held until the scoring resumed late in the third period.
"It's really great to have that first goal of the Paralympics on home soil," Dorion said. "It's just absolutely amazing."
Paul Rosen, of Thornhill, Ont., made four saves to register the shutout for Canada. Stillitano faced 16 Canadian shots.
The game was far closer than the last Paralympic meeting between these two teams. Four years ago to the day, Canada defeated Italy at the 2006 Paralympics in Turin, 12-0 en route to its gold medal finish.
"We were expecting to win and maybe we were expecting to win too much," Westlake said.
"I'm proud of Italy. They're getting better and they're starting to play a lot better systems and clog up the middle of the ice."
Canada will face Sweden on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. PT, 4:30 p.m. ET.
Reigning world champion Team USA is also sitting 1-0 after posting a 5-0 victory over Korea later Saturday.
Taylor Chace and Taylor Lipsett each had two goals in the victory.
Chace opened the scoring just over three minutes into the first period, but the Americans didn't strike again until the second on a power-play marker from Alexi Salamone. Lipsett made it 3-0 on another power-play goal near the end of the period.
Lipsett and Chase each potted their second of the game in the third, with Chase adding the fifth during a four-on-four after both teams drew penalties late in the final frame.
Korea had only four shots in the first two periods and managed a few scoring chances in the third, but weren't able to beat Team USA goalie Steve Cash.
In other sledge hockey action on Saturday, Norway beat Sweden 2-1 in a shootout, and Japan edged the Czech Republic 2-1.
- With files from The Canadian Press
