SpeedHockey Official Results

[RichardGraham]

Canada Downs USA 10-8 in SpeedHockey's Inaugural Game

Kirk French and Gerry St. Cyr Star in Debut Event

IRVINE, CA -- Team Canada's Kirk French scored two
goals, including a two-point goal at the beginning of
the second half, and Gerry St. Cyr added two goals and
an assist to lead Team Canada to a 10-8 victory over
Team USA in the inaugural SpeedHockey exhibition game
Saturday night at UC Irvine's Bren Center.

The Canadians never trailed in the game and overcame a
hat trick performance by Team USA's J.P. Beilsten,
whose goal midway through the second quarter had tied
the score at 3-3. Canadian National Team goaltender
Scott Humphrey made 29 first half saves to outduel USA
National Team goalie Rob Laurie (25 first half saves)
as Canada took a 4-3 lead to the locker room at
halftime.

French opened the third quarter with a rocket from
outside the two-point arc that beat USA backup goalie
Justin Hoffman to give Canada a 6-3 advantage just 36
seconds into the second half. The USA trailed 9-5
before a fight between Team USA's Oliver David and
Team Canada's Chris Graves two minutes into the fourth
quarter sparked the American side. Christian Skoryna
beat Canadian backup netminder James Jensen with six
minutes remaining, and Beilsten followed with his
third score of the night a minute later to narrow
Canada's lead to 9-7.

But French again responded, scoring from just outside
the crease with 4:36 to play to seal the victory for
Canada. David Brito's goal for the USA accounted for
the final margin.

Team USA and Team Canada will clash again in the
second game of SpeedHockey's Inaugural Exhibition
Series, to be played at Sovereign Bank Arena in
Trenton, New Jersey on Saturday night, October 18.

SpeedHockey represents the new generation of
professional hockey -- a sport designed to utilize the
best aspects of ice hockey and inline hockey, played
on an 85' x 85' surface. It is played in a
three-on-three manner, plus goaltenders. The sport
includes recessed goals, no icing or offside rules,
and a two-point goal arc to reward slapshots from the
perimeter. SpeedHockey will launch its premier season
in 12 U.S. markets in 2004. For more information
about SpeedHockey -- and to watch video of the sport,
visit our website at <A HREF="http://www.speedhockey.org" target="_new">http://www.speedhockey.org</A>.

***

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[missionhockey21]

Sounds like a good game. High scoring at that, but I am not suprised about that