CALGARY, Alberta – Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) posted seven points, including his third-straight hat trick, to help the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team to a 10-0 victory  over China here today in its final preliminary-round game of the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship at WinSport Arena. Captain Josh Pauls(Green Brook, N.J.) added four points (1g, 3a) in his 200th career game in the victory as well. 

With the win, the U.S. claimed the top seed in Group A and earned a quarterfinal bye. The semifinals will be played Friday, with Team USA’s opponent and game time to be determined. 

“I really liked our effort today, especially to start that second period,” said David Hoff, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. “I’m proud of how we are trending upwards as the tournament goes on.”

Farmer notched his eighth goal of the tournament with 3:10 remaining in the first with a top-shelf snipe on the power play to open the scoring. Pauls and Noah Grove (Frederick, Md.) picked up assists on the play. 

Just 34 seconds into the middle frame, Farmer put Team USA up 2-0 with another power play goal after he gathered a loose puck in the slot and beat Chinese goaltender Wei Wang with a wrist shot into the top right corner. 

Chris Douglas (Saint Cloud, Fla.) made it a 3-0 game 15 seconds later, capitalizing on a one-timer from the point directly off a faceoff win from Farmer. Pauls found Travis Dodson (Deming, N.M.) on a two-on-one 22 seconds later, who batted the puck home to give Team USA a 4-0 lead. 

At the 5:35 mark of the second, Farmer slid a pass across the slot to Grove on the power play, who wristed the puck past Wang for the U.S.’ fifth goal of the game. 

Malik Jones (Aurora, Colo.) added to the tally less than a minute later, deflecting a shot off a Chinese defender and in off a feed from Farmer. 

The U.S. took a 7-0 lead with 4:19 to play in the middle stanza when Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.) found Pauls open on the left faceoff dot, who blasted a one-timer past Wang. 

Jones notched his second goal of the game with 54 seconds remaining in the period to give the U.S. a commanding 8-0 lead heading into the final period of play. 

Late in the third, Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa) made it a 9-0 game with 6:27 to play in the contest after he gathered a loose puck in the offensive zone and scored on a wrister into the top left corner.  

Farmer completed a hat trick with 1:22 remaining to account for the 10-0 final.

Jen Lee (San Francisco, Calif.) recorded a shutout in goal for the U.S.

NOTES: Team USA out shot China, 30-3 … The U.S. was 4-6 on the power play, while China was 0-2 … Malik Jones was named U.S. Player of the Game … Josh Pauls played his 200th career game, becoming the first player in U.S. National Sled Team history to reach that milestone.