Photo courtesy of Igor Kupko
DOLNY KUBIN, Slovakia – Kelsey DiClaudio (Plum, Pa.) tallied four goals to help lift the U.S. Women’s National Sled Hockey Team to a 7-1 victory over Canada to capture the first-ever gold medal in World Para Ice Hockey Women’s Championship history at the Winter Stadium here today.
Team USA finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record, outscoring its opponents, 34-1.
“This is a surreal experience,” said Rose Misiewicz (Duluth, Minn.), head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Sled Team. “What these players did is amazing, and to bring home the first gold medal in World Para Ice Hockey Women’s Championship history is unbelievable.”
The game remained scoreless for the opening 13:29 before DiClaudio broke the tie when she balanced the puck on her right stick blade while wrapping behind the Canada net, then lifted it into the top-right corner to capitalize on a Michigan-style tally.
Catherine Faherty (Norwell, Mass.) doubled Team USA’s advantage 3:47 into the middle stanza, burying a top-shelf wrist shot from the slot off a feed from DiClaudio.
Just 17 seconds later, Lera Doederlein (San Diego, Calif.) threaded a cross-ice pass to Jamie Benassi (Newtown, Ohio) on the doorstep, who knocked it home to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead.
DiClaudio added two tallies in 40 seconds to complete a hat trick in the middle frame. She scored her second goal of the game with 4:48 to play in the period after forcing a turnover in the offensive zone and capitalizing on a one-on-one chance with Canadian netminder Jessie Gregory. Then, at the 10:52 mark, she battled through traffic at the top of the crease and shoved the puck across the goal line for her third goal of the contest, giving the U.S. a 5-0 lead.
Canada’s Alanna Mah made it a 5-1 game with 10:47 remaining in the contest, capitalizing on a five-on-three power-play opportunity.
Kaden Herchenroether (Allison Park, Pa.) scored on a wrister from the top of the circles at the 10:56 mark of the third, and DiClaudio scored from the top of the crease in the closing minutes to account for the 7-1 final.
Gabby Graves-Wake (Phoenix, Ariz.) stopped 10 shots to earn the win in goal for the U.S.
NOTES: Team USA outshot Canada 38-11 … The U.S. was on the 1-2 power play, while Canada was 1-5 … Catherine Faherty was named U.S. Player of the Game … Kelsey DiClaudio was named tournament MVP and best forward of the tournament.
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