Like a cash machine registering sales, the Canadian team continued to rack up medals as the Maccabiah Games passed the half-way mark last weekend.

The official Maccabiah website reported Canada’s open team was third in the overall medal count, behind Israel and the United States. According to the site, Canadians had earned six gold, two silvers and three bronze medals, though it appeared the web postings lagged behind the actual results.

 Cyclist Sylvan Adam alone had two gold medals to add to his trophy case. The Canadian open and junior hockey teams earned gold, as did golfer Ben Silverman.

Adam followed up his gold medal in time trial cycling with a gold medal in the road race event.

The men’s hockey team jumped into a 4-0 lead over the United States and cruised to a 7-1 victory in the gold medal game. The juniors also captured gold over their rivals south of the border, defeating the United States 3-2. Adam Henrich, captain of the open team, was named player of the tournament, while junior goaltender Mark Michaels was named player of the tournament on the junior side.

The masters hockey team earned silver, losing to the Americans in the final game.

In open men’s golf, the team earned a bronze in the team event to go along with Silverman’s gold.

In junior boys golf, Mark Fajertag won a gold medal for top junior boy net score, while the junior boys golf team received bronze medals in the team event.

In junior boys baseball, Canada beat Israel 3-1 in extra innings to advance to the gold medal game against the United States.

On the volleyball court, Canada came up short, losing in the gold medal game. The Canadian team featured Olympian Josh Binstock and nationally ranked players Sam Schachter and Aaron Nusbaum.

In basketball, the open women’s team defeated Australia 47-33 to capture the bronze medal, while the men’s team lost 77-57 to Russia in the consolation round.

The juniors girls defeated Israel 52-38 in a semifinal game to advance to the gold medal game, where they lost to the United States, the under-19 boys lost to Israel 66-44, and the masters men’s team won a bronze medal.

In track and field, the medal haul continued. In two days, the team accumulated a dozen medals: Alexia Miller won a bronze medal in the women’s junior 800-metres; Rachel Mintz won a gold medal in women’s open pole vault; Kayla Greenberg earned a bronze medal in women’s open high jump; Rachel Mintz, Addison Kramer and Sarah Katz won a silver medal in women’s open 4×400-metre relay; Lawrence Slapcoff, Aaron Nusbaum, Ahsher Zeldin and Gefen Stillman were silver medalists in boys junior 4×400-metre; Sarah Katz won a bronze in the women’s open 800-metre.

In gymnastics, Leah Martosh won a bronze medal on the bars for the junior girls team, while the open women’s team consisting of Sydney Flatt, Carly Mellon and Lauren Moshenberg, who compete at the provincial level in Canada, won a bronze medal.

In wheelchair basketball, the lone Canadian, Shayne Smith, competed on the co-ed “Team World,” which also consisted of one player from Holland, a few Israelis and Americans. Team World lost in the gold medal game to Israel’s under-21 team.

In masters swimming, Larry Bell won a gold in the 100-metre freestyle and a silver in the 50-metre freestyle. Canada’s Ami Trauber won bronze in the 50-metre freestyle, his second medal of the Games. 

Russell Tanz and Bradley Robbins won a bronze medal in men’s masters doubles tennis.

In a 2-1/2-hour match, 81-year-old Brahm Faber outlasted his 87-year-old opponent in scorching heat to win a gold medal for Canada in the masters over 80 division.

In other tennis action, Sherry Buller had a shot at a gold medal for Canada but came up a little short, resulting in a silver medal to go along with a gold medal in the mixed doubles competition.

Canada’s open women’s soccer team won a bronze medal.

Jeffrey Brenner earned a silver medal in the triathlon while Sasha Gollish and Judy Snider both won gold in triathlon – Snider in the 35+ masters division, while Gollish won in the open category.

Canadians were involved in several medal matches after The CJN went to press. In softball, the women’s team clinched a spot in the gold medal game against Team USA, while in masters softball, Canada also played in the gold medal game on Monday.

In men’s open squash, Albert Shoihet was to play for the gold medal on Monday.