Canadian Paralympic Team on Day 6:
Canada reaches gold-medal game in Para ice hockey
- Canadians oust South Korea in semifinals
- Wheelchair curling team secures berth in medal rounds
PyeongChang, March 15, 2018 – Day six of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games was the first to see the Canadian Paralympic Team not win a medal, with no podium events on the schedule. But it was a very successful day for the nation’s team sports, with Canada now guaranteed a medal in Para ice hockey thanks to a win in the semifinals, to go along with a spot in the medal rounds in wheelchair curling.
MEDAL CHART:
Gold – 5 Silver – 1 Bronze – 10 TOTAL – 16
TOP HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY:
• Host South Korea was no match for Canada on the ice at the Gangneung Hockey Centre. In front of a packed crowd, Canada’s Para ice hockey team posted a 7-0 victory to earn the right to play for the gold medal. The team scored four goals in the first period and never looked back, only facing two shots on goal. Tyler McGregor (Forest, ON) and Billy Bridges (Summerside, PEI) scored two goals apiece to lead the way for Canada. Canada will now have two days off before facing off against the United States for gold on Sunday.
“We were tight early, the first five or six shots we took missed the net. Nobody got frustrated and the bench was really positive which is what you need in big games. Eventually we broke through and got the first one, the next and then we got rolling and that’s a good lesson going into the next game.” – Greg Westlake (Toronto, ON), captain of the Canadian Para ice hockey team
“We had some chances early and finally we got the first one and that seemed to get us going more. I thought our best period of the whole game was our first period and that set the stage for the rest of the game.” – Ken Babey, head coach
• It was a great morning for skip Mark Ideson’s team at the curling rink, as Canada’s wheelchair curlers officially secured their place in the semifinals with a 6-2 triumph over Germany. That brought their record to 8-2 with one game still remaining in round-robin play. That took the pressure off for their last game, which they pulled off in comeback fashion 8-4 over Finland. With a 9-2 record, Canada has finished the round-robin tied for first place. Their semifinal opponent will be China.
“It feels great. It’s been a really long week. It feels like everyone is tired. We had a quick turnaround last night, not a whole lot of sleep. So I’m really proud of how everyone played today.” – Mark Ideson (London, ON)
“The pressure now is playing for each other. We’ve been a great group. We’re a team of ten, not just the five players out there. We’ve got a great support staff and they’ve been working hard all week. Together, if we can stick to our plan, we’ll be alright.” – Mark Ideson
