anada’s first loss at the 2019 ISBHF world men’s ball hockey championship proved to be a very tough one.
Friday in Košice, Slovakia, the Canadians were defeated 6-1 by the host side in a chippy semifinal game that featured almost 190 total penalty minutes, including 99 assessed to Canada.
The Slovakians will play either the Czech Republic or Finland in today’s gold-medal final. Meanwhile, Canada, which had won all five of its games before the semifinal setback, will need to regroup for the bronze-medal match against the loser of Friday night’s semifinal between the Czechs and Finns.
However, there will be a Canadian entry playing for gold in Košice today.
This country’s national women’s team will take on the United States in the championship final after those two countries advanced from a three-team playoff miniseries.
The Canadian women posted two shutouts in the mini tourney, bouncing the Americans 5-0 Wednesday and Slovakia 2-0 Friday.
Krisren Cooze of Kippens, one of three Newfoundlanders on the Canadian women’s team, had a goal Friday.
Deer Lake native Dawn Tulk and April Drake of Long Cove are the others from this province on the team, which is coached by Steve Power of St. John’s.
There are six Newfoundlanders — Jordan Escott, Marcus Power and Connor Donaghey of St. John’s, Patrick O’Keefe of Mount Pearl, Jordan Maher of Gander and Kevin Reid of Clarenville — on the Canadian men’s team ,which is coached by Ian Moores of Harbour Grace.
