Canada beat USA in Border Series

"These were two hard-fought games and now it’s time to go back to Chicago and train together as a team with our sights set on the Paralympics in March.”

The two top Para ice hockey teams met one last time before the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, and it was Canada leaving with the win as the 2018 Border Series concluded on 10 February in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.

Canada topped their North American rivals 3-0, to split the home-and-home Series after losing the first game, 2-1, on 8 February.

For Team USA, the loss was their first of the season, ending a streak of 10 straight wins.

“We learned a lot tonight,” said Guy Gosselin, Team USA’s head coach. “Give Canada credit, they came out and executed and we didn’t. These were two hard-fought games and now it’s time to go back to Chicago and train together as a team with our sights set on the Paralympics in March.”

Canada opened the scoring just 34 seconds into the game when Tyler McGregor fired a long-range shot from the top of the left circle over US goalkeeper Steve Cash’s outstretched glove.

With 33 seconds remaining in the opening period, Steve Arsenault doubled Canada’s lead, 2-0, after his shot from just inside the blue line sailed into the top left corner of the net.

Bob Delaney was able to push Canada’s lead to 3-0 with 5:53 to play in the frame when he converted a passing play from Rob Armstrong.

Despite a pair of power plays in the final stanza, the US could not convert in its first shutout loss of the season.