2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge

SPECIAL TEAMS LEAD U.S. TO OPENING WIN

WENDY GRAVES

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The United States opened defence of its gold medal at the 2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge with three power play goals, one shorthanded marker and a 4-0 shutout win over Korea.

Declan Farmer scored twice – once a man up, once a man down – and Nikko Landeros and Adam Page once each in the win. Steve Cash picked up the shutout.

Farmer and Landeros both had assists as well. Josh Pauls chipped in with a pair of helpers.

The United States outshot Korea 23-7.

The Americans have now won all five meetings between the teams at the tournament; Sunday’s win was the third time via shutout.

Jae-Woong Lee took the loss in net for Korea.

A pair of T-boning penalties less than five minutes into the game gave the Americans nearly two full minutes with a two-man advantage and put the Koreans on their heels. After a series of short passes in the middle of the offensive zone, Landeros took the feed from Farmer and easily slid the puck in from the bottom of the left face-off circle.

The United States doubled its lead with less than a minute to play in the first. With his team shorthanded, Farmer picked the puck off a Korean player in the circle, turned back toward the net and roofed his shot.

The American power play continued to click in the second. Page picked the low far corner from the right face-off dot four minutes in.

Later on in the period Brody Roybal drove behind the net and fed Farmer out front for a short one-timer.

The United States plays its next game against Norway on Monday (12 p.m. AST), while Korea next faces off against Canada (7 p.m. AST).