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NAHL U.S. National Team

U.S. Nat'l Sled Hockey Team Falls to Norway, 3-2

April 1, 2008 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
U.S. National Team News Release


MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - Despite two power-play goals from Chris Manns (North Tonawanda, N.Y.), the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team fell to Norway, 3-2, here tonight in its third game at the International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships.

"From the middle of the second period on, we out-played Norway," said Ray Maluta, head coach of Team USA. "We made two youthful, unforced errors early that gave them the 2-0 lead. Games like these create the learning experiences a team has to go through to get better."

Norway took the lead early in the first period after Morten Vaernes fired a shot over an outstretched Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) for a shorthanded tally. Cash later made two key saves in the period to leave the score at 1-0 after 20 minutes.

In the second stanza, Helge Bjoernstad doubled the Norwegian's lead at the 2:31 mark. Tommy Rovelstad made it 3-0 at 5:29 while Norway had a two-man advantage. Just seven seconds after Team USA went on the power play, Manns took a feed from Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.) and fired the puck into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Manns cut Norway's lead to one in the final frame with another power-play tally at 6:43. After Salamone's pass found Manns, he slid the puck under netminder Roger Johansen. Team USA created numerous opportunities, but was unable to solve Johansen again, giving Norway the 3-2 victory.

Cash made seven saves in the game.

The United States returns to action Wednesday (April 2) against Canada at 8 p.m. EDT, at the New England Sports Center.

NOTES: The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team is in third place in A Pool with a record of 2-0-0-1 ... The U.S. out shot Norway by a 13-10 margin ... Taylor Lipsett (Mesquite, Texas) is Team USA's leading point-getter with six (4-2) ... Massachusetts Hockey, an affiliate of USA Hockey, is serving as the local organizing committee for the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships.

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