Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1129975
JUNE/JULY 2019 D I G I T A L E X C L U S I V E USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 17 PHOTOS COURTESY OF World Para Ice Hockey nyone familiar with the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team knew it was only a matter of time before Brody Roybal would make his presence felt in the gold-medal game of the 2019 Para Ice Hockey World Championship. For the better part of the afternoon in Ostrava, Czech Republic, the Chicago area native was on the verge of accom- plishing big things on the biggest stage in sled hockey. He picked the right moment to come through, cashing in a Declan Farmer pass and slipping the shot past Canadian goaltender Dominic Larocque 5:08 into overtime to give the U.S. another thrilling win against their rivals to the north. "Declan just passed me the perfect puck and I had to put it away," Roybal recalled during an interview on the NHL Network. "Just a minute before I had blown an easy shot so I knew I couldn't do it two times in a row." Roybal's fourth goal of the tourna- ment capped another dramatic rally against their North American rivals after winning the 2018 Paralympic gold-medal game in similar fashion. As he did in PyeongChang, Farmer came up big for the Americans with his sev- enth goal of the tournament to even the score in the final minutes of regu- lation time. The extra frame opened with a flurry of chances for the Americans before ROYBAL REAPS WHAT FARMER SOWS Sled Stars Team Up To Lead U.S. To Gold In Another Overtime Thriller A Farmer took control of the puck at the top of the blue line and found Roybal all alone as he skated towards goal, shifted the puck beneath his sled and slid a left-handed shot into the back of the net for the win. "We worked so hard all year for this and it finally all came together," Roybal said. "We put it all on the line today and got what we came here for." The medal gives the U.S. its eighth consecutive medal in the world cham- pionships, including four golds (2019, 2015, 2012, 2009). "There's no better way to end the season than as world champions," said David Hoff, who made his debut as the head coach at a Para Ice Hockey World Championship. "Whatever adversity came our way, we dealt with it and, most importantly, we did it together as a team." P PARA ICE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP