COZZOLINO GETS SHOOTOUT WINNER, CANADA BEATS U.S. IN DEVELOPMENT OPENER

JASON LA ROSE

AMHERST, N.Y. – Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, Ont.) scored the lone Canadian goal in regulation time and added the winner in the shootout, leading Canada’s National Sledge Development Team to a 2-1 win over the United States in the opener of a three-game series on Thursday.

The win is just Canada’s second over the U.S. in the last 16 meetings between the North American rivals.

Cozzolino cut in from the right of Bo Reichenbach before sliding the puck to his left hand and just slipping a shot around the American goaltender to give Canada the victory.

Karl Ludwig (Brampton, Ont.) had the other shootout goal for the Canadians, and Kris Dutkiewicz (Kitchener, Ont.) stopped 17 of 18 shots in regulation and overtime, plus two of three Americans in the shootout.

Neither team could do much offensively through the first two periods; the Canadians and Americans combined for just 15 shots through 30 minutes (Canada held an 8-7 advantage), and Dutkiewicz and Reichenbach stopped them all.

Cozzolino finally broke through five minutes into the third period, pinching in from his blue-line position to knock a puck into the corner, then weaving his way out to the front of the net before stretching a right-handed shot around Reichenbach.

But the U.S. struck back just 2:49 later; after Kelsey DiClaudio saw her chance blocked in front of the Canadian net, David Eustace wired a shot past Dutkiewicz to tie the game.

That would be all the offence through regulation and overtime, with neither team managing even a single shot on goal during the five-minute extra period.

Chandler Couture got the shootout started for the Americans, outwaiting Dutkiewicz before firing home a left-handed shot, and Canadian captain Rob Armstrong went just wide on his opportunity.

Ludwig went left hand to right hand and along the ice to beat Reichenbach, sandwiched around Dutkiewicz saves on DiClaudio and Jack Wallace, setting up Cozzolino’s game-winner.

The series continues Friday morning (10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT) at Northtown Center before it wraps up on Saturday afternoon (4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT).