U.S. Women’s World Champions Relished Competing Against One Another at the Sled National Championships
Three women achieved a significant milestone at the 2026 USA Hockey-Honda Sled National Championships.
Erica McKee, Catherine Faherty, and Katie Ladlie participated in Adult Tier I, marking the first occasion that three women competed in the premier division at nationals. All three athletes were part of the U.S. Women’s National Sled Hockey Team that secured victory at the inaugural World Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship last August.
McKee represented the Chicago Freeze alongside her husband, four-time Paralympic gold medalist Kevin McKee, while Faherty and Ladlie played for the Northeast Passage Wildcats.
The teams faced each other three times during the tournament, with Northeast Passage winning all encounters. On May 1, Faherty provided an assist in a 6-5 victory for the Wildcats. The following day, the teams met twice, with the Wildcats claiming a 7-4 win before narrowly defeating Chicago 1-0.
Faherty scored two goals and McKee added one in the 7-4 match. Faherty then netted the only goal in the 1-0 victory.
“It was a lot of fun playing against them because whenever we’re at practice, we’re always playing with each other,” Erica McKee stated. “[Katie and I] were on the same line together. We usually play against Catherine and her line. So, it’s enjoyable to have that female representation out there and to compete against your teammates.”
The national championships, which took place from April 30 to May 3 in the Dallas area, featured 52 teams and nearly 600 participants.
“It was wonderful to see so many teams and so many young new faces,” McKee remarked. “There was a lot of impressive sled hockey being played. It was enjoyable to watch. It’s incredible to see so many young girls eager to play sled hockey. They’re not getting discouraged. My hope is for more women to elevate their teams to a higher tier and to eventually have more girls in Tier I.
“We had a meet and greet with the Paralympic team and some members from the Women’s National Team who could attend, and it was great to see the younger girls come through. I didn’t have that opportunity when I was younger.”
This year’s national champions included: Adult Tier I, Colorado Avalanche; Adult Tier II, Indy Steel; Adult Tier III, San Diego Ducks; Adult Tier IV, Dallas Sled Stars; Adult Tier V, Indy Steel; Adult Tier VI, LA Kings Sled; Youth Tier I, WSF Sled Rangers; Youth Tier II, Wings of Steel; Youth Tier III, Colorado Avalanche Youth; Youth Tier IV, San Diego Jr. Ducks; Youth Tier V, Vegas Golden Chariots.
In the most fiercely contested championship final, Colorado Avalanche Youth triumphed over Columbus Blades 2-1 in a shootout to secure the Youth Tier III title. Clayton Simon’s shootout goal was the decisive factor.
Mitchell Wennberg Jr. tied the game in the second period with a rebound goal, sending it into overtime.
“We just did it together,” said the 13-year-old Wennberg. “We were able to pull it off.”
Wennberg, who has been playing for five years, aspires to have a long career in sled hockey.
“My dream is to become a Paralympian,” Wennberg expressed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be bored playing sled hockey.”
The WSF Sled Rangers took some time to find their rhythm in the Youth Tier I championship game, but Logan Becker and Jorge Farro scored goals, and goaltender Timothy Shlapak made 13 saves as the Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Mighty Penguins 2-0 for the title.
“We all haven’t played together in a while,” said Nicholas Daponte, 18, whose team also won in 2023. “Once we started getting back into our groove, we performed well. At first, it was a bit rough, but we persevered.
“We’re all really good friends. We played quite well. We all came together.”
The San Diego Jr. Ducks enjoyed a more comfortable victory in their 8-3 win over Hammerheads Youth in the Youth Tier IV final.
Liam Brenes was the standout performer with six goals and an assist in the championship match.
“It’s surreal,” said 13-year-old Diego Perez, who added a goal and three assists for the Jr. Ducks. “This is my first national championship win. It’s like a dream come true. It was a fantastic tournament.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
