PAULS SCORES THREE AS AMERICANS ADVANCE TO GOLD MEDAL GAME

CALGARY, Alta. – Josh Pauls scored a hat trick to pace the offence as the United States advanced to Saturday’s gold medal game at the 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge with a 7-2 semifinal win over Norway on Thursday afternoon.

The win moves the Americans into the final (4 p.m. MT, TSN) for the first time since 2009, when they won their first and only WSHC gold medal with a 3-2 overtime victory over Canada in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

U.S. captain Taylor Chace added a goal and an assist for the U.S., while Taylor Lipsett, Daniel McCoy and Rico Roman also scored. Alexi Salamone and Greg Shaw chipped in with two assists each.

Morton Vaernes and Eskil Hagen scored the goals for Norway, which couldn’t repeat its feat from last April’s World Sledge Hockey Challenge in London, Ont., when it entered the semifinals as the third-seeded team and knocked off the Americans.

Vaernes’ goal early in the second period, just six seconds into a Norwegian power play, pulled the Scandinavian side even at 1-1 before Pauls, Chace and McCoy scored in a span of 5:19 to help the Americans pull away.

Norway will face the loser of Thursday’s late semifinal between Canada and Japan in Saturday’s bronze medal game (noon MT).

Penalties:
   16:06 NOR 3 Rolf Einar Pedersen (Elbowing)

Penalties:
   04:45 USA 21 Alexi Salamone (Roughing)
   04:45 NOR 85 Thomas Jacobsen (Roughing)
   04:45 USA 19 Taylor Chace (Roughing)
   09:57 USA 14 Daniel McCoy (Interference)
   16:40 USA 15 Nikko Landeros (Teeing)

Penalties:
   08:59 NOR 13 Martin Hamre (Interference)
   16:18 NOR 3 Rolf Einar Pedersen (Roughing)