U.S. National Sled Hockey Team Beats Czechia 6-0 in Para Hockey Cup Semifinals

By USA Hockey, 12/08/23, 4:15PM EST

Team USA will advances to championship game, puck drop scheduled for 6 p.m. ET tomorrow

Team USA forward Declan Farmer looks to shoot the puck on goal.

QUISPAMSIS, N.B. – Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) tallied a goal and three assists, while Griffin LaMarre (Haverhill, Mass.) earned a shutout as the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team beat Czechia 6-0 here today in the semifinals of the 2023 Para Hockey Cup at the Qplex.

With the win, the U.S. is set to play the winner of the second semifinal game between Canada and China in the championship tomorrow (Dec. 9). Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. ET and the game will be televised next day on NHL Network on Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. ET.

“We really set the tone in the first period with our offensive play,” said David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.). “We possessed the puck well and did a good job of keeping our composure.”

Team USA opened the scoring 4:31 into the contest. Josh Misiewicz (La Grange, Ill.) navigated through a net-front scrum and scored off a feed from Farmer. Just 22 seconds later, Farmer weaved through several defenders before capitalizing to take a 2-0 lead.

With 4:57 to go in the first, Evan Nichols (Haymarket, Va.) scored directly off a faceoff, putting the U.S. up 3-0. Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) made it 4-0 with 3:31 remaining in the period, after he gathered a rebound in the slot and rifled it home.

GAME PHOTOS

Both sides were scoreless in the middle frame, but Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa) added to the tally for Team USA 3:23 into the third, rifling a shot from the top of the left circle to give the U.S. a 5-0 lead.

With 7:48 remaining in the contest, Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.) buried a one-timer off a feed from Pauls on an odd-man rush, putting Team USA up 6-0 to cap off the victory.

NOTES: Team USA was 0-1 on the power play, while Czechia was 0-2 … The U.S. outshot Czechia 26-4 … Josh Misiewicz was named U.S. Player of the Game.