2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge

FARMER’S HAT TRICK LEADS U.S. PAST KOREA IN WSHC OPENER

DAVID BRIEN

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. – Declan Farmer scored a hat trick and added an assist, and Josh Pauls had two goals and two helpers to pace the American offence as the United States opened defence of its World Sledge Hockey Challenge gold medal with an 8-1 win over Korea on Sunday.

Four other players had multi-point efforts for the Americans; Brody Roybal had a goal and two assists, Kevin McKee had three helpers, Nikko Landeros had a goal and an assist, and Billy Hanning added two assists. The U.S. opened the scoring just 5:17 in when Pauls, who scored the overtime winner in last year’s gold medal game, made his way around a Korean defender before sliding a shot past goaltender Man-Gyun Yu.

Landeros doubled the U.S. lead on the power play at 13:26, beating Yu from the hashmarks, but Byeong-Seok Cho redirected in a Seung-Hwan Jung pass just 20 seconds later to quickly get the Koreans back within one.

The Americans added to their lead only 1:58 into the second period off the stick of Farmer, and he added his second 6:31 after that, snapping a shot upstairs on Yu.

Roybal made it 5-1 late in the second period; his shot hit Yu, popped up in the air and trickled past the Korean netminder, sending the U.S. to the intermission with a commanding four-goal lead.

Farmer finished his hat trick just 37 seconds into the third period, Pauls added his second at 4:30, and Tyler Carron capped the scoring 49 seconds after that, beating Yu right off a won face-off by Farmer.

U.S. goaltender Steve Cash needed to make just seven saves to record the win, with the Americans outshooting Korea 22-8.

The U.S. will look to remain undefeated when it meets Russia in the early game Monday (noon AT), while Korea is back on the ice for the day’s late game at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre, taking on Canada (7 p.m. AT).