Jordan Maher of Gander has two goals and an assist as Canada beat Haiti 8-1 Sunday to improve to 3-1 at the world men’s ball hockey championship in Košice, Slovakia.
Maher is one of a half dozen Newfoundlanders on the Canadian team, which opened the tourney with a 6-4 win over Italy and followed up with a 3-0 shutout of Switzerland.
Connor Donaghey, Marcus Power and Jordan Escott of St. John’s, Patrick O’Keefe of Mount Pearl and Kevin Reid of Clarenville are also on the squad, coached by Ian Moores of Harbour Grace.
Maher, the former QMJHL forward who recently committed to the University of Prince Island for next season, has four points (2G, 2A). Reid (2G) and Escott (2A) who both play in the Newfoundland senior ranks, each have two points.
Reid’s goal came against Haiti, whose team is almost entirely made up of Haitian-Canadians from the Montreal. Likewise, the Italian team is made up of 17 players from southern Ontario and three from Montreal whose heritage allows them to play for Italy. And the same dynamic is at play for Greece, which takes on Canada Tuesday in their final preliminary game of the round-robin.
The world men’s championship is being held concurrently with the world women’s championship, where Canada is 2-0 after a 6-1 win over Great Britain Sunday and 4-0 blanking of Slovakia is Thursday’s tournament opener.
Aprll Drake of Long Cove, Conception Bay had one of Canada’s goals Sunday, while Kristen Cooze of Kippens added an assist. Dawn Tulk of Deer Lake is also on Team Canada, which is coached by Steve Power of St. John’s.
The Canadian women take on the Czech Republic today and finish up their preliminary round robin against the United States on Tuesday.
Twitter: telysports
