There was no hat trick for Tampa’s Declan Farmer on Sunday, only his fourth straight gold medal in Paralympics sled hockey.
Instead, the three-goal game was left to teammate Jack Wallace, who led Team USA to a 6-2 victory over Canada at the Mila- Cortina Winter Games.
Wallace’s first hat trick of the Games helped give the Americans their fifth consecutive gold medal and sixth overall since the sport joined the Winter Games lineup in 1994.
“This team is so special,” Wallace said. “We love each other. This team grinded it out, a gritty game. It was unbelievable. I love these guys so much.”
The victory gave U.S. Hockey a three-gold sweep in Italy over its northern neighbors, with the Para hockey team joining the men’s and women’s Olympics squads back in February.
Rookie Kayden Beasley added the fourth U.S. goal before Farmer put in his Games-leading 15th and Brody Roybal, another four-time Paralympian, supplied an empty-netter.
Farmer, the 28-year-old Berkeley Prep graduate, who tallied a hat trick in all four previous games as Team USA breezed to the finale, was tightly marked by the Canadians. But his 200-foot game was a big part of the American’s defensive approach.
ALSO READ: Tampa's Declan Farmer pilots U.S. to Paralympics sled hockey gold-medal game
Before his assist on Wallace’s second goal, Farmer’s only appearance on the scoresheet were two minor penalties. The latter, a tripping call 3:31 into the second period, led to Liam Hickey’s power play goal that tied the game at 1-all.
“It’s really easy to play defense when these guys are grinding below the goal lines,” Wallace said. “So, I mean, I feel like I got pretty lucky. I mean, it just means the world for this team.”
Beasley and Wallace followed with goals that allowed the U.S. to pull away.
Farmer leaves Italy with a tournament-best 15 goals and 25 assists, who ice his spot in the career record book. He holds the all-time assists record with 65 in 18 games.
And he’s tops in international goals (255), assists (191) and points (445), and the leader in Paralympics goals (36).
The other Floridian at the Paralympics, 19-year-old Brett Bolton, of Rockledge, finished with four goals and an assist in his first appearance in a Winter Games. The sophomore at the University of Colorado regularly trains with Farmer.
U.S. captain Josh Pauls earned his fifth straight gold medal.
It was Canada’s third straight loss to the U.S. in the gold-medal game. The Canadians only gold came in 2006.
