WEST VALLEY CITY -- The U.S. sled hockey team's hard-hitting game plan worked to near perfection against heavily favored Sweden.
But because the game is scored by putting the puck in the net, not knocking your opponents around, the Swedes skated away with a 4-3 victory Monday night in the opening round of the World Ice Sledge Hockey Championship at the E Center.The match sometimes resembled bumper cars on ice as the physical U.S. squad took every opportunity to crash into the Swedes, who typically forgo checking for finesse. The team has never beaten Sweden, which won the bronze medal at the 1998 Paralympics in Nagano.
Sled hockey (sledge is the international term) is essentially the same as regular hockey, except the athletes have lower-body disabilities and play from sitting positions. Their metal frames sleds have two runners like ice skate blades on the bottom. Players use two small sticks to propel themselves and handle the puck.
Left wing Kip St. Germaine staked the United States to a 1-0 lead just one minute into the first period.
"That's how we wanted to come out. Hit them hard, score a goal and let them know we're here," said right wing Joe Howard. Howard pounded on Swedish star Jan Edbom all night, keeping the quick, powerful skater from scoring a point.
No matter. Edbom's teammate Marcus Holm lit the lamp three times for hat trick and assisted on a fourth goal. He scored the game-winning goal on a short breakaway with just over three minutes to play in the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie. Holm said he was lucky and the puck just seemed to come to him.
The U.S. team put on furious rush at the end of the hard-fought game. Veteran center David Conklin's long looping shot in the waning moments glanced off the crossbar and over the net. Conklin figured into all three U.S. goals, scoring two and assisting on the other.
Sweden took 26 shots on goal for the game, twice as many as the U.S. "They have a nose for the puck, Conklin said, adding the young U.S. team needs to learn to take more and better shots.
In other games:
NORWAY 4, ESTONIA 1: Before their midafternoon match at the E Center, Norway offered the lesser-equipped Estonian team use of extra sleds and other equipment. The Norwegians still outmanned the Estonians in posting a dominated 3-0 lead midway in the second period. Tommy Rovelstad, Helge Bjoernstad, Stig tore Svee and Alte Haglund scored for Norway, while Arne Vik made 14 saves in goal. Juri Tammleht scored Estonia's sole goal.
CANADA 1, JAPAN 0: In front of a crowd of 2,500 that included many classes of schoolchildren, Billy Bridges tallied the game's only goal in the third period, with Pierre Pichette earning the shutout for Canada.