2018-19 National Para Hockey Team

CANADA EDGED BY UNITED STATES IN DEVELOPMENT SERIES OPENER

QUINTON AMUNDSON

MONTREAL, Que. – Canada’s National Para Hockey Development team stormed to a 2-0 lead over the United States in the first period Friday night, but the Americans responded with three tallies in the second to eke out a 3-2 win in game one of a three-game series between the two nations at the 2019 Défi sportif AlterGo.

Curtis Duguay (Barrie, Ont.) and Cody Dolan (Calgary, Alta.) scored for Canada.

Adam Kingsmill (Smithers B.C.) turned aside 16 shots in defeat.

After engaging in a disruptive defensive battle with their rival for the first 10 minutes of the game, Canada’s transition attack broke through for two quick-strike goals late in the first period.

Duguay drew first blood by wiring a wrist shot to the top corner with 3:09 left in the period, and Dolan doubled the lead 82 seconds later with a low shot from the right face-off circle that drifted past the pads of LaMarre.

The United States scored three unanswered goals in the first 4:44 of the second period to seize the lead. Ben Musselman cut the deficit in half at the 25-second mark, Joseph Woodke deadlocked the match at 3:26 and David Eustace pushed the Americans ahead at 4:44.

Kingsmill slammed the door shut for the rest of the period by making big stops on multiple high-danger chances from the slot to ensure his team was only trailing by a single marker heading into the third period.

The Canadians created intense forechecking pressure in the third period in a bid to tie the game, but LaMarre and the U.S. defence stood up to the challenge and closed out the game.

Game 2 of the series goes Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.