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Team USA Set To Open 2018 Paralympic Games

By USAHockey.com, 03/09/18, 4:30PM EST

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U.S. Opens vs. Japan on Sunday (March 11) at 12 p.m. local/10 p.m. ET (March 10)

GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- The 2018 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team is set to compete the Paralympic Winter Games March 9-18 in PyeongChang, South Korea. 

The United States enters the tournament as the two-time defending champions after claiming the gold medal at the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010. Champions in eight of the last nine major international tournaments it has played in, Team USA is competing in Group B alongside the Czech Republic, Japan and host South Korea. 

The U.S. opens play against Japan on Sunday (March 11) at 12 p.m. local time, making it a 10 p.m. ET puck drop on Saturday (March 10) back in the United States. The contest will be televised live on NBCSN, in addition to being streamed live on NBCOlympics.com.

The roster is led by captain Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.), alternate captains Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) and Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.) and goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.). All four were members of the gold medal-winning 2014 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team.

Guy Gosselin (Grafton, Wis.), who led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship in Gangneung, South Korea, is serving as head coach of the 2018 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. Joining Gosselin behind the bench is assistant coach David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.). Dan Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the general manager for the third consecutive Paralympics while Team USA's support staff includes athletic trainer Mike Cortese (Boynton Beach, Fla.), equipment manager Scott Aldrich (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and team physician Mike Uihlein (Grafton, Wis.). Cortese and Uihlein were on the gold-medal winning staff in 2014 while Aldrich served the same role for the 2018 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team.

U.S. Paralympic Schedule

Date Opponent/Round Result Venue
Sun., March 11 Japan
Preliminary
W, 10-0 Gangneung Hockey Centre
Mon., March 12 Czech Republic
Preliminary
W, 10-0 Gangneung Hockey Centre
Tues., March 13 Korea
Preliminary
W, 8-0 Gangneung Hockey Centre
Thurs., March 15 Italy
Semifinals
W, 10-1 Gangneung Hockey Centre
Sun., March 18 Canada
Gold-Medal Game
W, 2-1 (OT) Gangneung Hockey Centre

All-time, the United States owns an 18-1-0-6-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) record through six Paralympic Winter Games. Among its Group B opponents, Team USA has faced Japan the most with six previous matchups, most recently earning a 2-0 victory at the 2010 gold-medal game in Vancouver. After losing its first two Paralympic tilts vs. Japan, Team USA has won four straight against the Japanese. 

The U.S. is meeting South Korea in the preliminary round for the third consecutive Paralympics. The United States defeated the Koreans 5-0 in Vancouver and 3-0 in Sochi in the lone matchups between the two countries in Paralympic play. The only previous Paralympic contest between Team USA and the Czech Republic came in a 3-0 U.S. victory in the preliminary round of the 2010 Games. 

For Team USA's complete Paralympic record by opponent, see below. 

U.S. Paralympic Record By Opponent

USA vs. GP W OTW OTL L T GF GA
Canada 3 2 0 0 0 1 9 2
Czech Republic 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0
Estonia 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 1
Germany 2 1 0 0 1 0 5 5
Great Britain 1 1 0 0 0 0 7 0
Italy 1 1 0 0 0 0 5 1
Japan 6 4 0 0 2 0 16 4
Norway 5 2 1 0 2 0 11 10
Russia 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 2
South Korea 2 2 0 0 0 0 8 0
Sweden 2 2 0 0 0 0 12 1
TOTALS 26 18 1 0 6 1 84 26

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