2018-19 National Para Hockey Team

CANADA EDGED IN OVERTIME IN PARA WORLDS FINAL

JASON LA ROSE

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic – Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) made 19 saves in a spectacular performance, but Canada’s National Para Hockey Team finished with silver at the 2019 IPC World Para Hockey Championship after a 3-2 overtime loss to the United States in the gold medal game on Saturday.

It’s the second time Canada has occupied the second step on the podium at worlds; it also took home silver in 2015, alongside its four world titles (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017) and bronze in 1996, 2009 and 2012.

Liam Hickey (St. John’s, N.L.) and Rob Armstrong (Erin, Ont.) scored the goals for the Canadians, who held a one-goal lead into the final four minutes before the Americans pulled even.

The first period belonged to Larocque; the Canadian goaltender kept the game scoreless despite his team being outshot 8-1, highlighted by a pair of point-blank stops off American star Declan Farmer.

Canada rewarded its netminder with a power-play goal early in the second. Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) found Hickey down low, and he beat a diving Steve Cash for the 1-0 goal.

Josh Pauls needed just 90 seconds to tie the game for the U.S., dancing through the Canadian defence and beating Larocque, but a shot from Armstrong bounced off the blocker of Cash and up and over the American netminder to restore the Canadian advantage.

All told, the teams combined for three goals in four minutes and one second.

Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) earned assists on both Canadian goals in the middle frame, giving him 400 career points (188 goals, 212 assists) since Hockey Canada took over the para hockey program in 2004.

Canada tried to ride its one-goal advantage to a second-straight world championship, but Farmer equalized with 3:26 to go, stick-handling his way to the net and banking a shot off the sled of Larocque and in.

The Canadian puck-stopper was terrific again early in overtime, but Brody Roybal snuck behind the defence off a scrambled face-off and tucked the game-winner past Larocque with his left hand to end it.

During the game, Larocque was named Top Goaltender, while Hickey earned Top Defenceman honours.

McGregor finished as Canada’s top scorer with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in five games.