MCGREGOR SCORES LATE, BUT SLEDGE DEV TEAM FALLS SHORT IN SERIES OPENER

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. – Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) scored in the final to minute to make it a one-goal game, but Canada’s National Sledge Development Team dropped a 2-1 decision to the United States in the opener of a three-game series Thursday night.

It’s just the second time in 10 all-time meetings that Canada has lost to its North American rivals – the Canadians won all six games during the 2010-11 season and took two of three in a series in Amherstburg, Ont., in February.

After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Americans took a 1-0 lead in the first minute of the second period thanks to Jeremy Lyon, and doubled their advantage when Ahmad Karimzada beat Canadian netminder Kris Dutkiewicz (Kitchener, Ont.) five-and-a-half minutes into the third.

David Grenier (Windsor, Ont.) and Josh MacDonald (Surrey, B.C.) set up McGregor with 33 seconds to go, but that would be all the offence the Canadians could muster.

Dutkiewicz starred in the Canadian net despite the loss, making 22 saves as the U.S. held a 24-12 advantage in shots on goal, including 10-3 in the third period when the Americans pushed to extend their lead.

The teams return to the ice at the Extreme Ice Center, just outside of Charlotte, on Friday night for Game 2 (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT) before wrapping up the series Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT).

Goals/Buts : 
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités : 
01:59 USA Danny McDevitt (Teeing/Charge en T)

Goals/Buts : 
00:39 USA Jeremy Lyon (Paul Schaus)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
None/Aucune

Goals/Buts : 
05:37 USA Ahmad Karimzada (Tim Shoemaker)
19:27 CAN Tyler McGregor (David Grenier, Josh MacDonald)

Penalties/Pénalités : 
None/Aucune