MILAN – Fifty-eight seconds.
It took less than a minute for the United States to find the net and begin its onslaught against Germany at the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
It was no surprise that Declan Farmer struck first for the Americans as he came into the game as the all-time points leader in U.S. sled hockey history. After his first goal, Farmer found the back of the net again a little less than two minutes later, and then capped off the hat-trick later in the first period.
“Sometimes doing it that quick can kind of slow these games down a bit, but it definitely feels good — that’s why we’re here,” the Tampa, Florida, native said. “The whole team is really going well. All the lines are putting in some pucks.”
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The United States never slowed, dominating Germany 13-0 for its second win of the Milano Cortina Games.
Complete records over sled hockey’s history in the Paralympics do not exist, but the team believes he most likely became the Games’ all-time leading points leader in the win, and presented him with a ceremonial puck in the locker room after the game to acknowledge the feat.
From start to finish, the United States showcased its ability to carefully work the puck around the offensive zone, with 41 shots on goal. Team USA goalie Griffin LaMarre made his Paralympic debut with little work needed, as Germany was held to just a single shot.
David Eustace secured the first career hat trick of his international career. The Stoneham, Massachusetts native has been a part of three world championship teams and a 2022 Paralympic gold. Jack Wallace, Kayden Beasley, and Brett Bolton added two goals each.
The puck stayed nearly entirely on Germany’s side, with the Germans often packing in defensively to try and slow down Team USA. That defense is something the team looked to break down.
“Our coach talks about stretching the team to the outside, where, especially in this situation, it can almost emulate another team’s penalty kill, where they’re kind of closed in a box,” defenseman Jack Wallace (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) said. “It’s a really big strength for a team to be able to pull them out of that box and then attack.”
Team USA now has a combined score of 27-1 in the preliminary rounds, but faces China on Tuesday, who has dominated both Germany and Italy with a combined score of 23-1. The puck drops at 8:35 a.m. ET and the winner will claim the top spot in Group A.
Alex Carpenter is a reporter for the Paralympics Project, a partnership between USA TODAY Network and the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.