Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Ice Sled Hockey Team Sweeps Japan
November 12, 2003
CHICAGO—The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) ice sled hockey team, the RIC Blackhawks, opened their 2003-04 season with a sweep of a seven game tournament in Okaya, Japan.
Invited by the Japanese Sled Hockey Association the RIC Blackhawks participated in the 8th Annual International Friendship Ice Sports Games for the Disabled. The RIC Blackhawks played five games against two Japanese club teams, the Nagano Thunderbirds and the Tokyo Ice Burns, and two games against Team Japan. The RIC Blackhawks succeeded both Japanese club teams, allowing only two goals while scoring 33 in five straight victories.
The competition in the two games against Team Japan was much different; both games were low scoring defensive battles. The RIC Blackhawks won both games by the score of 2-1 with Patrick Byrne scoring the winning goal in both games. Sylvester Flis led the RIC Blackhawks in overall scoring with eight goals and 14 assists playing in only five of the seven games. All nine RIC players scored at least one goal and the RIC Blackhawks out shot their Japanese opponents 120 to 51.
Other highlights of the RIC Blackhawks seven game tournament included Matt Coppens scoring his 50th goal as a RIC Blackhawk; Jack Sanders scoring his first career hat trick; rookie Andy Yohe scoring his very first goal (followed by two additional goals); and second year player Bill Bogdan scoring his first international goal. The RIC Hawks also recorded shutouts in four of the seven games for a total of 24 shutouts in their 58 game history.
The RIC Blackhawk’s trip to Japan was made possible by grants from the Chicago Blackhawks Charities, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, and from the Japan Sled Hockey Association. The outstanding hospitality and assistance of the organizing committee made the trip successful. For more information and complete game statistics visit the sled hockey section of our Web site at www.richealthfit.org.
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Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is dedicated to helping people with all levels and types of physical disabilities regain or improve their physical functions and empowers them to participate more fully in family, social, vocational and leisure time pursuits. U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago “The Best Rehabilitation Hospital in America” for 13 consecutive years.
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