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The U.S. doesn't suck at hockey after all!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20140317/team-usa-sochi-paralympics-sled-hockey-gold-medal-russia.ap/index.htmlIt was Sweeney's goal in the second period that retained the Paralympic title for the U.S., ensuring it was ''The Star-Spangled Banner'' playing later in the near-7,000 capacity arena as the team embraced on the ice.
The U.S. match-winning moment came in the 25th minute after Sweeney intercepted a mistake by defenseman Alexei Lysov. The former U.S. Marine swept forward before raising the puck past goaltender Vladimir Kamantcev....
Sweeney's team succeeded where the U.S. men fell short in the Sochi Olympics last month. The men didn't make the podium, although the women's team was second.
Saturday's final gave disability sport its biggest platform yet in the U.S., with NBC making a late change to its schedules to show its first live action from the Paralympics.
The U.S. match-winning moment came in the 25th minute after Sweeney intercepted a mistake by defenseman Alexei Lysov. The former U.S. Marine swept forward before raising the puck past goaltender Vladimir Kamantcev....
Sweeney's team succeeded where the U.S. men fell short in the Sochi Olympics last month. The men didn't make the podium, although the women's team was second.
Saturday's final gave disability sport its biggest platform yet in the U.S., with NBC making a late change to its schedules to show its first live action from the Paralympics.
Interesting take on the sport. The players have a short version of a regular hockey stick, plus another stick without a blade that they use to propel their sleds. It appeared to be a regulation ice surface, which is a LOT of territory to cover on a sled. They could try tweaking the size of the ice surface, and/or add back the seventh player (the Ottawa team that won Stanley Cups in the 1920s was called the "Silver Seven"
, to make it more like skating hockey. Also, it must be very difficult to get any leverage on a shot with that short stick. Maybe they could allow more bend in the blade?
