The United States doubled its lead in the final period. For the third time during the game, the scoring once again began five minutes into the frame.
Josh Pauls, a five-time Paralympian and three-time captain, dragged the puck up the middle of the ice, waited for Czech goalie Patrik Sedlacek to open up, and calmly slid the puck by the left post and into the net.
Farmer scored his third goal of the game two-and-a-half minutes later, brilliantly switching the puck between his hands as he wove through a sea of Czech defenders for his fourth hat trick in four games so far in Milan. Noah Grove then increased the United States’ total to six.
James Fearn/Getty Images for IPC
In each of its three previous contests in Milan, the United States had recorded at least two goals in the first period. When the Czech defense slipped, Sedlacek kept his team in the game, blocking 35 of the United States’ 41 total shots. But the United States kept fighting, determined to earn a historic gold medal bid.
“We’ve got to earn our spots in the gold medal game. Everyone, before the tournament, put us and Canada into it, but we have to be the ones to go out there and earn it,” Farmer said. “It’s an incredible feeling to play for gold.”
Farmer contributed to each of the United States’ six goals, increasing the single-tournament Paralympic records to 14 goals and 24 points. With just one more assist in the gold medal game, he’ll tie his own record for most assists registered in a single Paralympics. He currently has 10. In Beijing, he tallied 11.
The United States now moves on to its fifth title game appearance in as many Paralympic tournaments, where it will go head-to-head with Canada for the consecutive year. The Americans won 2-1 in 2018 and 5-0 in 2022. Both teams enter the title match undefeated in Milan.
No sled hockey team has ever qualified for five back-to-back gold medal games.
Only three other hockey programs have won four back-to-back titles in the Olympics or Paralympics: Canada’s Olympic men’s team (1920, 1924, 1928, 1932), the Soviet Union’s Olympic men’s team (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976), and Canada’s Olympic women’s team (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014). Norway is the only country — aside from the United States — to make four-straight Paralympic gold medal games, though it only won once, in 1998 (the United States prevented Norway from repeating as champion in 2002).
What’s more, the United States could become the first country to sweep all three Olympic and Paralympic hockey tournaments. The country’s men and women claimed double gold in the Olympic tournament in Milan in February, with both wins coming against Canada.
Czechia, which has never placed above 5th at any previous Paralympic tournament, will battle reigning Paralympic bronze medalist China for 3rd place.