CanadaB次元官网网址檚 para hockey team collected silver medals after dropping a 2-1 overtime loss to the United States Saturday afternoon during the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games in Gangneung, South Korea.
The men, who proudly wore the Maple Leaf uniforms, got on the scoreboard first on a goal by veteran Billy Bridges (Summerside, PEI) at 12:06 of the first period.
Canada held on to the lead until the Americans knotted the score in the dying seconds of the third stanza to take the game into overtime.
Goalie Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) was strong between the pipes as faced 16 shots B次元官网网址� four more than the American net-minder.
The U.S. grabbed the gold as Declan FarmerB次元官网网址檚 shot found the back of the net at 3:30 of the overtime period.
B次元官网网址淥ur guys were tremendous. They battled hard,B次元官网网址� said Team Canada head coach Ken Babey.
B次元官网网址淭hey took CanadaB次元官网网址檚 para hockey program to a silver medal.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very proud of our team, and IB次元官网网址檓 very lucky to be part of such a great group of young men and such a great organization [Hockey Canada].B次元官网网址�
BabeyB次元官网网址檚 disappointment over the loss wasnB次元官网网址檛 overshadowed by the prospects he sees for the program leading into 2022.
B次元官网网址淭he veteran players showed a lot of experience, and they bought into the system and the style of play. WeB次元官网网址檝e taken the style of play to a whole new level, and Canada should be proud of that - our team is proud of that.B次元官网网址�
We have a lot of young players coming up, and through this experience, weB次元官网网址檒l be better. B次元官网网址淥ur fortunes are looking pretty good for the next quadrennial.B次元官网网址�
Canada dominated its opponents during the preliminary round and semifinal play where they outscored Sweden, Italy, Norway, and Korea 42-0 while allowing only 13 shots on goal.
Canada ends the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games with a 4-1 record.
This whole build has been fantastic, said team captain Greg Westlake (Toronto), one of three players who won gold in 2006, and bronze in 2014
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not the result we wanted tonight, but I think itB次元官网网址檚 important to take a step back and realize that in high-performance sport, the difference can be inches, millimetres, a millisecond and that can determine the outcome, and that can determine and shape your experience of a [Paralympic] Games.B次元官网网址�
While silver isnB次元官网网址檛 the colour of medal the team had hoped for, Westlake said a Paralympic Games medal of any colour is special and holds a lot of power.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been fortunate to go to a lot of galas, a lot of golf tournaments, a lot of hospitals, and people donB次元官网网址檛 care that itB次元官网网址檚 gold, silver or bronze.
B次元官网网址淭hey care that you stuck to something, persevered, and you were able to accomplish something not many people do in their life.
I think over time weB次元官网网址檒l take this silver medal back home and hopefully inspire a whole new generation of Paralympians, Olympians, [or] just high-performing people who say B次元官网网址榟ey, bad things are coming, but weB次元官网网址檙e going to work hard and weB次元官网网址檙e going to come out the other side [and be] OKB次元官网网址�.B次元官网网址�
CanadaB次元官网网址檚 lone para hockey gold medal came in Turin in 2006 where three members of this yearB次元官网网址檚 team B次元官网网址� Brad Bowden (Orton, Ont.), Bridges, and Westlake B次元官网网址� finished atop the podium.
(James Gemmell, the sole para hockey team member from B.C., has said this was the event that inspired him to get involved in sledge hockey.)
Canada has also won Paralympic silver in Nagano, Japan (1998), as well as a pair of bronze medals in Lillehammer, Norway (1994), and Sochi, Russia (2014).
The addition of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 silver medal adds to the record medal (28) haul for the Canadian contingent at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, surpassing the 2010 record of 19 medals in Vancouver.
CanadaB次元官网网址檚 para hockey team is set to return home on on March 20, with Gemmell arriving in Vancouver on AC64 at 11:40 a.m.
