Team USA Overcomes China, 7-1, with Farmer Setting New Paralympic Points Record

MILAN – Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.) achieved his 54th career Paralympic point, setting a new all-time record, as the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team triumphed over China, 7-1, in their final preliminary round match of the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

The U.S. concluded the preliminary round at the top of Group A with an unblemished record of 3-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L), outscoring their opponents 34-2. Team USA progresses to the semifinal round and will compete on Friday (March 13) at 2:35 p.m. CET (9:35 a.m. ET) against the second-place team from Group B. The match will be aired on USA Network and available for streaming on Peacock.

“I was very pleased with the effort today and how we rose to the occasion,” stated David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.), head coach of the 2026 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. “China skates exceptionally well, but we maintained our composure and wore them down as the game progressed. Now, we turn our attention to Friday’s semifinal and aim for our ultimate objective.”

Team USA exerted pressure for much of the first period but did not break the scoreless deadlock until captain Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) fired a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle into the net at 12:46 of the opening period.

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Farmer secured his 54th career Paralympic point with a power-play goal in the closing moments of the period, executing a backhand shot over the shoulder of Chinese goaltender Yanzhao Ji to extend the U.S. lead to 2-0.

Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.) contributed a third goal for the U.S., marking his first of the tournament, at 2:22 of the second period, blasting a shot past Ji from the slot following a centering pass from Evan Nichols (Haymarket, Va.) during a power play.

Farmer netted Team USA’s first even-strength goal of the match at 5:24, maneuvering past several defenders before wristing a shot beneath the Chinese goaltender from the slot, increasing his team’s lead to four goals.

U.S. goaltender Jen Lee (Daly City, Calif.) kept China scoreless with a solid blocker save with 4:01 remaining. Shortly after, Roybal scored his second power-play goal of the game, lifting the puck over Ji’s glove to push the U.S. lead to 5-0 at 11:16.

Liam Cunningham (River Falls, Wis.) recorded his first career Paralympic goal with 1:22 left in the second period, sending a shot from the right faceoff circle through Ji on the power play, putting the U.S. ahead by six.

Farmer completed his hat trick just 59 seconds into the third period, stealing the puck from a Chinese defender near the crease and sliding it into the net to give the U.S. a 7-0 lead.

Zhanfu Zhu scored at 4:28 of the third, launching a shot from the point that found the back of the net, resulting in the 7-1 final score.

Lee recorded eight saves in the win.

Notes: Team USA outshot China, 31-9 … The U.S. converted 5-9 on the power play while China was 0-3.

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