World Ball Hockey: Bermuda Defeat Italy

Coming off an important win against Hong Kong in their opening match of the 2013 World Ball Hockey Championships, Bermuda came to the Glacier rink focused and ready to put in another solid team effort against Italy, a team Bermuda has never beaten in previous World Tournaments.

Team Italy was very skilled and decided to try and intimidate Bermuda with a physical style of play. Up to the challenge Bermuda didn’t retaliate and kept working hard.

Bermuda’s hard work would pay off in the 2nd period when vice captain Monte Palsat calmly gained the blue line and made a clever pass to charging sniper Matt Benson. Benson found the back of the net with a great wrist shot and Bermuda thought they were off to the races. Unfortunately for Bermuda, team Italy had no intentions of surrendering and quickly tied the affair with a shorthanded goal of their own.

Bermuda regrouped and continued to avoid retaliating against the aggressive Italian side. Power play after power play though team Bermuda just couldn’t buy a goal. Then late in the 2nd period the Bermuda 4th line of Glen Madore, Shaun Trowsdale and Jon Talbot would string passes together, before Madore would find the back of the net to put Bermuda ahead.

The third period was a heated affair with the Italians continuing their physical play. They had several quality scoring chances on their own power plays and at equal strength but Bermuda’s veteran goalie Yan Leclerc who would later be named Bermuda’s Player of the Game continued to deny them an equalizer.

At the midway point of the 3rd period Bermuda found themselves with a 5-3 power play after a couple of Italy penalties. Bermuda’s captains showed important leadership with calling a time out and drawing up a play.

Bermuda executed and Tom Worthington White put a great shot on net and Dave Gazzard would bat in the rebound to give Bermuda a 2 goal cushion.

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