OSTRAVA, Czechia – Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) scored an overtime game-winning goal to lift the U.S. National Sled team to a 2-1 victory over Canada here today (Oct. 20) in the opening preliminary-round contest of the 2025 IPH Cup at Ostravar Arena.

“We did a lot of good things with puck,” said David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.), head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. “We had a tough time scoring but we made the play at the end. I’d like to see us have a little more intensity when we finish and hopefully we can build on that throughout the week.”

Despite a power-play opportunity for each squad, the game remained scoreless after the opening frame. Noah Grove (Frederick, Md.) nearly capitalized on a breakaway chance in the closing minutes of the first but was denied by Canadian goaltender Corbin Watson.

The U.S. had a pair of power-play opportunities in the second stanza but was unable to capitalize, and the two sides entered the third period knotted at 0-0.

At the 7:54 mark of the third, Canada’s Tyler McGregor broke the tie with a power-play tally. 

Less than two minutes later, Jack Wallace (Franklin lakes, N.J.) leveled the score, capitalizing with a wrister from the right circle off a cross-ice feed from Farmer. 

The remainder of the final stanza was scoreless, sending the contest into overtime.

Just 1:54 into overtime, Farmer wrapped around the Canadian goal and rifled a shot top-shelf past Watson to lift the U.S. to a 2-1 victory.

Jen Lee (San Francisco, Calif.) stopped 12 shots to earn the win in goal for Team USA.

The U.S. will face off against Italy in its second preliminary-round contest of the 2025 IPH Cup tomorrow (Oct. 21) at 3 p.m. local time/9 a.m. ET. The game will stream live here.

NOTES: Team USA outshot Canada 18-13… The U.S. was 1-5 on the power play, while Canada was 1-2… Jack Wallace was named U.S. Player of the Game.