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Team USA blanks Sweden,7-0, to open 2017 Sled Worlds

By USAHockey.com, 04/12/17, 3:45PM EDT

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Team USA returns to action tomorrow vs. Italy

Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.), Kevin McKee (Chicago, Ill.) and Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.) each registered four points as the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team blanked Sweden, 7-0, in its first game of the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship in Gangneung, South Korea.

"The guys have been looking really well in practice and that showed here tonight," said Guy Gosselin, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. "There were a lot of positives, but we can always improve and that's what we'll look to do tomorrow against Italy."

Team USA (1-0-0-0/W-OTW-OTL-L) returns to action tomorrow when it takes on Italy at 11 a.m. local time (10 p.m. ET). The game will be streamed live at Gangneung2017.com.

Full recap after the jump


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Game
Highlights


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Alternate captain Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.) opened the scoring just :43 into the game when he skated through the slot, collected a pass from McKee and beat Sweden’s goaltender Ulf Nilsson with a low blocker-side shot.

Roybal doubled Team USA lead midway through the opening frame when he took a pass from McKee and tucked a wrist shot under the crossbar. Farmer, who was also credited with an assist on Roybal’s goal, made it 3-0 when he tapped home a pass from Roybal with :45 remaining in the period. 

Team USA extended its lead 2:28 into the middle stanza when Paul Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y.) deflected a shot from alternate captain Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.).

Alternate captain Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.) opened the scoring just :43 into the game when he skated through the slot, collected a pass from McKee and beat Sweden’s goaltender Ulf Nilsson with a low blocker-side shot.

Roybal doubled Team USA lead midway through the opening frame when he took a pass from McKee and tucked a wrist shot under the crossbar. Farmer, who was also credited with an assist on Roybal’s goal, made it 3-0 when he tapped home a pass from Roybal with :45 remaining in the period. 

Team USA extended its lead 2:28 into the middle stanza when Paul Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y.) deflected a shot from alternate captain Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.).

Farmer gave the U.S. a 5-0 lead 5:46 into the final frame when Roybal found him alone in the crease for his second goal of the game. With under five minutes to go in the period, Farmer scored his third goal when he fired a shot above the crease over Nilsson. 

Roman scored with 2:12 remaining to account for the 7-0 final.

Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.), who started in net for Team USA, was relieved after the opening stanza by Bo Reichenbach (Billings, Mont.).

U.S. Schedule

Date (U.S) Opponent Result U.S. Player of Game
April 12 Sweden W, 7-0 Brody Roybal
April 13 Italy W, 9-1 Declan Farmer
April 15 Germany W, 9-0 Josh Pauls
April 17 Canada W, 2-1 Kevin McKee
April 17 Norway W, 6-0 Tyler Carron
April 19 Korea W, 5-0 Jack Wallace
April 20 Canada
Gold-Medal Game
L, 1-4 Andy Yohe

NOTES: Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.) was named the U.S. Player of the Game ... Team USA outshot Sweden, 47-0, and went 0-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. For complete game stats, click here ... Labatt USA is a proud sponsor of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team … The 2017 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship is doubling as a test event for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and the top five teams will automatically qualify for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. ... Team USA, the tournament's defending champion, seeks back-to-back gold medals in the event for the second time (2009, 2012) ... Among the 17 players representing Team USA, 12 were members of the 2015 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team that won the 2015 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship. For the complete 2016-17 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team roster, click here ... Dan Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.), director of inline and sled hockey national teams for USA Hockey, is the general manager of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. Joining national team head coach Guy Gosselin (Grafton, Wis.) behind the bench is assistant coach David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.). Additional team staff members include athletic trainer Mike Cortese (Boynton Beach, Fla.), assistant coach Mike Sertich (Duluth, Minn.), equipment manager Joel Isaacson (Houghton, Mich.), and team physician Mike Uihlein (Grafton, Wis.). Cortese, Isaacson, and Uihlein have been staff members for the past four seasons.


TODAY’S GAME
Team USA takes on Sweden in its rst game of the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship here today in Gangneung, South Korea. The tournament, which is taking place at Gangneung Hockey Centre, is doubling as a test event for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games next March. Today’s game will be live streamed at Gangneung2017.com with live tweets available through @usahockey using the hashtag #SledWorlds.

USA VS. SWEDEN
All-time, the U.S. holds a 4-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) against Sweden and holds a 25-16 advantage in goals for. After losing its rst two meetings versus Sweden, Team USA has won four straight, including three of which were by shutouts.
     The United States and Sweden are facing off for the first time since exactly four years ago, when Team USA claimed a 7-0 shutout victory in world championship play in Goyang City, South Korea on April 13, 2013.

REIGNING CHAMPIONS
The United States enters the world championship as defending champions for the third time. Team USA is the only team to ever claim back-to-back gold medals in the world championship after doing so in 2009 and 2012. Goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) was a member of both U.S. squads. 

KEY RETURNEES
Among the 17 players representing Team USA, 12 were members of the U.S. squad that claimed the gold medal on home ice at the 2015 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship in Bu alo, New York. Key returnees include defenseman Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.), who received the Directorate Award for Best Defenseman of the tournament; forward Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.), whose 11 points (5- 6) at the 2015 event set a new Team USA record for most points in a world championship; forward Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.), who tied former Team USA member Taylor Lipsett (Mesquite, Texas) for most goals in a single world championship by a U.S. player with six; and goaltender Steve Cash, who set Team USA records in goals against average (0.27), save percentage (.970) and shutouts (4).

GOSSELIN LEADING TEAM USA
Guy Gosselin (Grafton, Wis.), a two-time U.S. Olympian (1988, 1992), is making his international head coaching debut after the passing of former head coach, Jeff Sauer (Madison, Wis.), last February. This is his second stint with the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team after working alongside Sauer as an assistant coach from 2011-15 and helped the U.S. claim gold medals at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2012 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship in Hamar, Norway. Additionally, he helped Team USA earn a silver medal at the 2013 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship in Goyang City, South Korea. 

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