The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team will conclude its 2016 campaign at the 2016 IPC Sled Hockey Pan-Pacific Championship in Buffalo, New York, March 29-April 2. The tournament, which will be held at the HARBORCENTER, will mark the first time Team USA returns to Buffalo since claiming the 2015 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship on May 3, 2015.
The 2016 IPC Sled Hockey Pan-Pacific Championship will feature four teams: Canada, Korea, Team Pan-Pacific and the United States. Team Pan-Pacific will be comprised of players from Japan and the United States.
Tournament play begins March 29 with a round robin preliminary round. The top two teams in the opening round will advance to a winner-take-all championship game on Saturday, April 2. Tickets for all games will be available for $5 online here with additional tickets available at the door.
This will be the second competition for the U.S. this season. In January, Team USA defeated Canada, 3-2, in overtime to claim the 2016 World Sled Hockey Challenge in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Defenseman Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) scored the championship-clinching goal for the second consecutive year. Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) finished as the tournament-leader in goals (7) and points (13) while Kevin McKee (Chicago, Ill.) led all skaters in assists (8).
In the 2015 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship, the U.S. outscored its opponents 29-1 while going a perfect 5-0 to claim its third gold medal in the last four world championships (gold: 2009, 2012; silver: 2013). Buffalo native Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.) led the team with 11 points (5-6) to set a new Team USA record for most points in a world championship.
March 29-April 2 - Buffalo, New York - HARBORCENTER
Date | Opponent | Time |
---|---|---|
Tuesday, Mar. 29 | Team Pan-Pacific | 7 p.m. ET |
Wednesday, Mar. 30 | Canada | 7 p.m. ET |
Friday, April 1 | Korea | 7 p.m. ET |
Saturday, April 2 | Third-Place Game | 1 p.m. ET |
Championship Game | 5 p.m. ET |