2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge

U.S. USES THREE-GOAL SECOND PERIOD TO TOP RUSSIANS AT WSHC

DAVID BRIEN

BRIDGEWATER, N.S. – Another multi-point effort from Declan Farmer helped the United States to a 6-2 win over Russia on Monday at the 2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, keeping the U.S. perfect in preliminary round play.

One day after recording four points in a victory over Korea, Farmer scored twice and adding an assist, leading an American offence that featured five other players with at least two points.

Brody Roybal, Dan McCoy, Kevin McKee and Adam Page each chipped in with a goal and an assist, while Josh Pauls added two helpers of his own to push the Americans’ winning streak at the tournament to seven games.

Nikolai Terentev scored his second goal in as many games, and Maksim Kuzminykh also found the scoresheet for the Russians, who dropped their second game in less than 18 hours after a tournament-opening loss to Canada on Sunday night.

The teams traded goals in the first period; McKee opened the scoring at 6:02, going top shelf on Russian goaltender Mikhail Ivanov, but Terentev redirected a shot past Steve Cash just over six minutes later.

The U.S. would take control in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals.

McCoy made it 2-1 just 3:39 into the middle frame, surprising Ivanov with a quick shot under his sled, and Roybal snapped home the 3-1 goal less than two minutes later to give the Americans some breathing room.

Farmer followed his shot to the net and buried a rebound while shorthanded at 8:50 to send the U.S. to the dressing room up three goals after 30 minutes.

The Russians cut the American lead back to two goals just 2:23 into the third period when Kuzminyhk slid a shot underneath Cash, but Farmer’s second of the game at 7:38 made it a 5-2 game.

Page capped the scoring with exactly a minute left, finishing off a beautiful under-the-sled deke with a shot just inside the post past Ivanov.

Cash earned the win in the American goal, making 10 saves before giving way to Bo Reichenbach, who didn’t face a shot, with 7:04 left.

The U.S. will look to finish off a perfect preliminary round when it takes on Canada in a much-anticipated match-up on Wednesday night (7 p.m. AT), while Russia caps the round robin Wednesday afternoon against Korea (noon AT).