Team USA opened the Beijing Olympics men’s ice hockey tournament with an 8-0 win over China on Thursday, turning a close game into a blowout thanks to impressive offensive skill from their collection of young players.
Forward Sean Farrell had a five-point game, scoring a hat trick and adding two assists. The Harvard University player, who also played for the USHL Chicago Steel, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2020.
“It’s awesome to get our first game under our belts. We’ve been working really hard in practice and coming together as a group off the ice,” said Farrell. “We don’t really know what we’ve got until we step on the ice for the first game. It was a great start for us.”
Forward Ben Meyers had three points (goal and two assists). Goalie Drew Commesso made 29 saves for the shutout. The 19-year-old, who was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2020, is the…