Men's team Beijing-bound with gold
Canadian Press
July 26, 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- Canada's men's field hockey
team is headed to the Beijing Olympics. Canada
defeated Argentina in a shootout in the gold-medal
game at the Pan American Games yesterday to qualify
for the Summer Games next year.
After finishing regulation play tied 2-2, the match
was still deadlocked after 15 minutes of extra time.
Both teams then scored four times on the first five
shots in the shootout.
But Canadian goalkeeper Mike Mahood of West Vancouver,
B.C., made a key save on Argentina's sixth shot,
leaving Wayne Fernandes of Mississauga a chance to
seal the win for Canada. He didn't let his team down,
beating Argentine 'keeper Juan Manuel Vivaldi to
clinch the gold medal.
After Fernandes scored, the Canadian team ripped off
their shirts and piled on top of each other in
celebration before taking a lap around the field with
a Canadian flag.
It's the fourth Pan Am Games gold medal for Canada in
men's field hockey. The team lost to Argentina in the
Pan Am final in Santo Domingo in 2003.
The Canadian team was ranked No. 2 in the tournament
behind Argentina.
With a drought of Olympic and World Cup field hockey
appearances stretching back seven years, the team's
veterans on the Canadian team were keen to get back to
the Olympics one more time and leave a lasting legacy
for their sport.
Mahood is one of six Olympians from the Sydney Games
of 2002 on the team. The others are Ravi Kahlon of
Victoria, Ken Pereira of Toronto, Rob Short of
Vancouver, Bindi Kullar of Surrey, B.C., and Paul
Wettlaufer of North Vancouver, B.C.
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Wayne's parents are from Tanzania and Uganda.
Mervyn3.0
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