ICE HOCKEY: U.S. Nat'l Sled Hockey Team Falls to Canada, 3-2 The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team fell to Canada, 3-2, here tonight at the Amherst Pepsi Center. After Team USA built up a 2-0 lead, Canada scored the game-winning goal with :42 left in the game.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team fell to Canada, 3-2, here tonight at the Amherst Pepsi Center. After Team USA built up a 2-0 lead, Canada scored the game-winning goal with :42 left in the game. The two teams will meet again tomorrow at the ESL Centre in Rochester, N.Y., at 7 p.m. ET.
"We played really well to start the game and I'm happy with our first two periods," said Ray Maluta, head coach of Team USA. "Hopefully we can put in three good periods tomorrow night and be on the positive side at the end of it."
Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.) started the game's scoring with a breakaway goal at 15:47 of the opening period. Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) stopped all seven shots he faced in the frame to secure the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Joe Howard (Brockton, Mass.) doubled the U.S. lead at 7:35 of the second stanza. After Bubba Torres (Riverside, N.J.) fed a pass from behind the Canadian net, Howard roofed a shot past Canadian goaltender Benoit St-Amand to give Team USA a two-goal advantage.
Canada scored at 6:55 of the third period, before evening the score less than seven minutes later. Canada's Billy Bridges closed out the scoring at 19:18 to account for the 3-2 final count.
NOTES: Students wearing a hockey jersey will receive free admission to tomorrow's game. Additionally, the game will be broadcast live and free of charge via FASTHockey.com. To watch the broadcast, fans must first sign up for a free account at video.FASTHockey.com and download the media player ... Following the two-game series, the U.S. squad will take part in the 2009 International Paralympic Committee World Sledge Hockey Championship from May 5-17 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
GAME SUMMARY
Scoring By Period
USA 1-1-0--2
CAN 0-0-3--3
First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Page (Connelly, Jones), 15:47. Penalties: None.
Second Period - Scoring: 2, USA, Howard (Torres, Lipsett), 7:35. Penalties: None.
Third Period - Scoring: 3, CAN, Westlake (Murray), 6:55; 4, CAN, Bowden (Westlake, Dixon), 13:31; 5, CAN, Bridges (Westlake, Bowden), 19:18. Penalties: USA, Manns (roughing), 12:27; CAN, Grassi (roughing), 12:27.
Shots by Period
USA 4-5-1--10
CAN 7-4-7--18
Goaltenders (SH/SV)
USA, Cash, 45:00 7/7-4/4-7/4--18/15
CAN, St-Amand, 45:00 4/3-5/4-1/1--10/8
Power Play: USA 0-0; CAN 0-0
Penalties: USA 1-2; CAN 1-2
