MILAN — declan farmer delivered a six-point night on Friday to drive the U. S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team past Czechia, 6-1, in the semifinals at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. In the same burst, declan farmer set a new Paralympic single-tournament record with 14 goals and 24 points as the Americans punched their ticket to the gold medal game. The U. S. will play for gold on Sunday, March 15 at 11: 05 a. m. ET against the winner of the other semifinal between Canada and China.
Semifinal turning point: From early deficit to six unanswered
The opening minutes were tense and tilted the wrong way for the Americans. Czechia struck first at 5: 08 of the first period when Michal Geier tapped in a loose rebound in the crease, just eight seconds into a Czech power play.
From there, the U. S. response was immediate and relentless. The equalizer arrived at 10: 26 of the first period when declan farmer swept in a rebound off Travis Dodson’s initial shot to make it 1-1. That goal also pushed him into new single-tournament territory for both goals and points at these Games.
In the second period, the U. S. turned the game into a sprint Czechia couldn’t match, opening a 3-1 lead with two goals in 19 seconds. After a shot from Farmer went wide, David Eustace backhanded the rebound at the net and the puck bounced off Czech netminder Patrik Sedlacek’s glove for the go-ahead. Moments later, Eustace fed a cross-ice pass that Farmer lifted high to extend the advantage.
The Americans added three more in the third. Josh Pauls scored early, beating the goaltender on a low shot from the slot. Farmer completed his hat trick with 7: 08 remaining in the third, cutting through the defense from the blue line and finishing around an outstretched goaltender as both teams played four a side. Noah Grove capped the night on the power play with 6: 11 left, taking a pass at the faceoff dot from Brody Roybal and snaking a shot inside the post.
Immediate reactions: U. S. coach praises “patience and persistence”
David Hoff, head coach of the 2026 U. S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, said the performance was built on consistency rather than chaos.
“I thought we had a really solid effort from start to finish, ” Hoff said. “I liked how we stayed with what we were trying to do and I thought our team had patience and persistence, which gives us a chance to play in the game we all want to on Sunday. ”
In net, Griffin LaMarre finished with four saves as the U. S. limited Czechia’s looks throughout the night. Team USA outshot Czechia, 41-5, and finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while Czechia went 1-for-1.
Records and the road to Sunday, March 15 (11: 05 a. m. ET)
The victory sends the United States into the Paralympic gold medal game for the fifth straight time, a run underscored by Friday’s output from Farmer: three goals and three assists in a single semifinal, and tournament totals of 14 goals and 24 points.
Quick context: Friday’s semifinal in Milan was played inside the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games sled hockey bracket, with the U. S. advancing by beating Czechia 6-1. The gold-medal matchup will be set after Canada and China meet in the second semifinal.
What’s next: Final opponent pending as U. S. prepares for gold
The U. S. now shifts to recovery and scouting as it awaits the outcome of Canada vs. China to learn its opponent. Puck drop for the gold medal game is scheduled for Sunday, March 15 at 11: 05 a. m. ET in Milan, and the Americans enter with momentum after a statement semifinal powered by declan farmer.
