A pair of Greater Trail hockey players led the Italian national ice-hockey team to victories over Korea and Japan to open the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
Fruitvale’s Patrick Iannone and Trail native Trevor Johnson played pivotal roles in the 4-0 win over Korea Sunday and a 4-1 victory over Japan Monday.
Iannone, a former WHL Kootenay Ice captain who plays for Pestertal of the Italian league, was named player of the game against Japan, scoring twice to lift the national team to its second straight win.
After contributing two assists in the 4-0 victory over Korea, Iannone scored the final two goals of the match to clinch the victory over Japan.
Johnson, a former Ice defenceman and Trail Smoke Eater, has also contributed offensively tallying an assist in the first match, and adding another against Japan when he fed David Borrelli who made no mistake giving the Azzuri a 1-0 lead early in the first.
Armin Hofer made it 2-0 midway through the second, before Iannone sniped his first of the night to go up 3-0 with just over five minutes left in the period.
Iannone would score his second of the tournament giving Team Italy an insurmountable 4-0 lead.
The 31-year-old leads the tournament in scoring with four points in two games.
Italy plays Great Britain in its next Div. 1 group A round robin game on Wednesday.
The Italians join Japan, Korea, Great Britain, Kazikstan, and Hungary looking to be one of two teams to qualify for the 2014 IIHF World Championships.