Canada's Para ice hockey team clinches semifinal berth in rout over South Korea

Canada's James Dunn scored a hat-trick and added an assist to propel the national men's Para ice hockey team to its first win at the Beijing Paralympics with a 6-0 win over South Korea on Tuesday.

By bouncing back from a 5-0 loss to the U.S. in the opener on Saturday, the Canadians finished second place in Group A, securing a spot in the semifinals.

Canada will face the winner of a quarter-final matchup between South Korea and Italy on Thursday at 10:50 p.m. ET.

Liam Hickey, of St. John's, N.L., scored Canada's first goal just over seven minutes into the first period.

Dunn, who assisted on the first goal, doubled Canada's lead just 21 seconds later. The 21-year-old two-time Paralympian added his second of the game in the second period to make it 3-0.

Veteran Billy Bridges of Summerside, P.E.I., and Canadian captain and co-flag-bearer Tyler McGregor of Forest, Ont., scored in the third period before Dunn completed his hat-trick to wrap up the 6-0 rout.

"It's good to get the win. We didn't have a great first game here, of course. It's important to bounce back: a rubber Band-Aid, so to speak," said five-time Paralympian Greg Westlake.

WATCH l James Dunn hat trick sends Canada through to Para ice hockey semifinals:

As for Bridges, he is confident the team has it in them to bounce back from a loss such as the one to the U.S.

"We come into this tournament as we did in the last seven or eight seasons. We know [the U.S.] are a team to beat, but we are very proud in our own play and in our own players," Bridges said.

"Our ability to respond has to be there and I really feel this group has it in them. We showed a bit of what we were working on in the last couple of days and I know tomorrow we are going to get right back to work again."

The U.S., who defeated South Korea 9-1 on Tuesday, finished the preliminary round in the top spot of the group and also qualified for the semifinals.

With two losses in two games, South Korea finished third to move on to the quarter-finals.

The Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) would have also been part of Group A had the country not been excluded from the Games along with Belarus.

Group B consisted of host nation China, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia who all played Tuesday to determine the three remaining quarter-final spots and knockout round games.

The Paralympic hosts secured top spot in the group with a 6-0 victory over Italy.

Czech Republic finished behind China in second place following a 3-0 win over Slovakia and will play the Group B winners in the competitions' other quarter-final.

Canada falls to Slovakia in wheelchair curling

Canada's wheelchair curling team suffered its third consecutive loss at the Beijing Paralympics with a 9-8 defeat to Slovakia on Tuesday.

Slovakia went up 6-3 in the fourth end, but Canada responded in the sixth as Jon Thurston's last stone draw scored four to regain the lead.

After Slovakia's three-point seventh end, which catapulted their lead to 9-7, Canada had an opportunity to force an extra in the eighth with the hammer. However, Thurston's last draw came up light as Canada claimed just one in the final end.

"We were right there — I just didn't make the draw at the end of game," Jon Thurston, who throws last rock, said about the close loss. "Obviously, it's not the outcome we wanted, but I think it was a strong game for us."

Canada's is now 4-3 with three games remaining, and needs to finish top-four to advance to the semifinals.

WATCH | Canada suffers 3rd straight loss in back-and-forth affair with Slovakia:

South Korea's four-point sixth end secured an 9-4 win over Canada earlier on Tuesday, that followed a 6-3 loss to Sweden on Monday.

"[South] Korea played well. They're a good team and we missed out on a few opportunities that we had set up and that's the sport of curling," Canada's Mark Ideson said, after the loss.

"I thought we communicated well, but maybe a little bit less than we have in previous games, so definitely something we'll talk about and get back to when we get back on the ice."

Canada's round-robin schedule concludes on Wednesday against Great Britain at 1:30 a.m. ET., Estonia at 6:30 a.m. ET. and Norway at 8:30 p.m. ET.

WATCH | Canada falls to South Korea in wheelchair curling:

Hudak finishes 6th in standing biathlon

Canada's Brittany Hudak was unable to add to her medal haul finishing sixth in the women's standing 10-kilometre Para biathlon race.

The 28-year-old Prince Albert, Sask., native completed the race with a time of 37 minutes 43.1 seconds, a minute out of Ukrainian gold medallist, Iryna Bui's time. 

Bui led a Ukrainian podium sweep as Oleksandra Kononova won silver, and Liudmyla Liashenko took bronze.

Fellow Canadian Emily Young finished eighth.

WATCH | While you were sleeping: 6 Canadian medals including 2 historic Para snowboarding wins:

Zaplotinsky, Picton place 8th in sitting biathlon

Canada's Derek Zaplotinsky finished eighth in the men's sitting 10km biathlon race.

The Smoky Lake, Alta., native crossed the finish line with a time of 32:56.4.

Christina Picton, of Fonthill, Ont., also placed eighth in the women's event.

The 28-year-old finished with a time of 39:15.9, which was a little over six minutes back of gold medal winner, Kendall Gretsch of the U.S. 

American Oksana Masters claimed silver, falling just under nine seconds behind her teammate. Germany's Anja Wicker secured bronze.