Team USA Wins Gold at 2017 World Deaf Ice Hockey Championship

By USAHockey.com, 04/29/17, 8:00PM MDT

U.S. tops Canada, 6-3, behind three-goal performance by Garrett Gintoli

Garrett Gintoli scored three goals and Joseph Lingle made 30 saves as the U.S. Deaf Ice Hockey Team defeated Canada, 6-3, to claim the gold medal at the 2017 World Deaf Ice Hockey Championship in Amherst, New York.

With the win, Team USA finished the tournament with a 3-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record that included victories over Czech Republic (17-0), Finland (6-2) and Kazakhstan (32-0). Its lone loss came to Canada by a 5-2 score.

Both teams traded chances early in the first period before Team USA opened the scoring with 2:04 remaining when Peter Gintoli connected off assists from Robert Ruef and TJ Orrichio.

In the second stanza, Team USA made it 2-0 when Reuf connected 5:36 into the frame, but Canada cut Team USA’s lead to one when Jason Veilleux scored two minutes later. Taylor Andersen then tallied at the 10:46 mark before G. Gintoli scored twice in the final five minutes of the frame to push Team USA’s lead to 5-1 entering the second intermission.

Veilleux connected again 2:46 into the final frame before Andrew Hughes added a third goal for Canada to make the score 5-3. With 3:39 remaining, G. Gintoli tallied his third of the game to account for the 6-3, gold medal victory.

NOTES: Garrett Gintoli was named the U.S. Player of the Game … The U.S. was outshot by Canada, 33-29. For complete game statistics, click here ... Team USA outscored its opponents, 57-7, en route to the gold medal.