MILAN (AP) — Three weeks after the United States beat Canada in the Olympic hockey finalsthe Americans overcame their neighbors again to win Paralympic gold and complete the sweep at Milan Cortina.
In front of a packed arena, Jack Wallace scored a hat trick to help the US beat Canada 6-2 in Sunday’s Para ice hockey final and become the first nation to win all three of the hockey tournaments at the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year. There is currently no women’s division at the Paralympics as it is classified as an open-gender sport.
“I’m glad we got it done because I think there’s a little bit more pressure with the men and women getting the golds too,” captain Josh Pauls said. “But I’m happy we could do it for USA hockey and I think it really just shows like how much they … invest in the grassroots programs because we have so many young players coming up and playing pivotal roles on our teams.”
One of those he’s seen progress at close hand is Wallace.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Wallace said with a broad smile when asked about his hat trick.
The 27-year-old Wallace, who grew up loving hockey, had his right leg amputated above the knee after a water-skiing accident at age 10 and thought his dreams of playing the sport at the highest level were over before discovering Para ice hockey.
“I think watching Jack Wallace go from the player he was when he first started, from a kid who just wanted to be back on the ice after losing his leg and now to watch him score a hat trick, it’s just so awesome to be a part of people’s lives and to watch them succeed and put in the work,” Pauls said.
“I was on the ice for the first time when he was on his sled and so to watch those guys blossom is just the ultimate honor and to be their teammate is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Pauls said.
While the Olympics saw the US men’s team win gold for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, it’s a very different story at the Paralympics.
It was a fifth straight title for the US and Pauls — Wallace now has three and several of his teammates have four.
“I mean it’s kind of crazy, I can’t believe it,” Pauls said with a laugh. “I mean I don’t think you ever start out wanting to win five consecutive and to be the most decorated player in the sport and so I think this team is just so special.”
The US has won six of the past seven editions of the Winter Paralympics. It was a third straight loss in the final for Canada, which won its only para ice hockey gold on Italian ice, in Turin in 2006.
Earlier, China claimed a second successive bronze medal as it fought back from conceding two goals in the opening three minutes to beat Czech Republic 3-2.
Sunday’s final set a new record attendance for the sport at a major tournament as 10,795 fans filled the near-capacity stands.
The mark had been set in the opening match of the tournament with the preliminary round game between the US and host nation Italy drawing 8,992 spectators.
“I don’t think I could have imagined this,” Pauls said. “I mean it’s just so cool. I know this building was packed for the men’s and women’s Olympic finals and to be packed for us, I think, shows the parity of sled hockey compared to stand up ice hockey.
“And I think we had some really passionate fans. I didn’t realize so much of Italy was Canadian! And there was definitely some chants, but I’m glad we could kind of silence them a little bit … it was such a great atmosphere to play in.”
