NETANYA, ISRAEL – The Blue Division top seeds competing at the 2018 FIL Men’s World Championship earned victories in pool play on Friday. The 2014 World Champion Canadians and No. 4 seeded Australia saw tough play from their opponents at Wingate Sport Institute, one of two venues for this year’s FIL World Championship.
The three-time World Champion Canadians took control of England scoring four consecutive times with Jeffrey Teat accounting for a pair in the early run in the first quarter. Canada never looked back in defeating England, 12-6. Going into the final stanza, Canada held an 11-3 advantage.
With less than 9 minutes in the game, Joshua Sherry-Brennan started a three goal flurry in the course of six minutes, but time ran out. Curtis Dickson and Teat each finished with a hat trick for Canada. Joshua Byrne scored a pair of goals. Alfred Scarpello was the lone multi-goal scorer for England with two.
The Australians, who finished off the medal stand in 2014 for the first time in the history of the FIL Men’s World Championship, appear focused on finding a position at the conclusion of the 2018 version after a dominating win over Scotland, 18-6. Christopher Robertson scored both of his goals in the first half giving Australia a 3-0 lead, pacing the Aussies.
At the start of the second quarter, Australia went on a 15-3 scoring barrage over Scotland, which included many fast breaks with crisp passes, where 10 athletes scored. Nigel Morton led Australia with three goals, and five others found the net two times.
Scotland’s Ryan Sage led with two goals, with three others having a single goal.
