Placements Begin on Penultimate Day of 2026 World Masters Hockey Indoor World Cup

USA's O-60 Women fell to Canada, 3-2, in a highly competitive and hard-fought match. USA opened the scoring with a well-executed penalty corner, finished by Christine Couteau (Skillman, N.J.) with an impressive lifted shot. Canada responded strongly, taking control of the game with two unanswered goals in the first half to carry a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, Canada extended their advantage to 3-1, putting pressure on USA to respond. Late in the match, the Golden Eagles made the strategic decision to pull their goalkeeper with three minutes remaining, adding an extra field player. The move proved effective, as USA earned another penalty corner, and Couteau once again delivered to narrow the score to 3-2. USA generated several additional scoring chances in the closing moments, but were ultimately unable to find the equalizer. The O-60 Women finished competition in fifth place.

The O-45 Women defeated Australia, 4-1, and will play Ireland tomorrow for bronze. USA pressed hard the whole game, staying composed in the face of an aggressive Australia side. The team truly worked together, seeing four different athletes score, and a defense that stepped up after a key defender was injured. Tina Mattera (Wakefield, Mass.) got the scoring started for USA off a penalty corner in the first quarter, while Meredith Kirkpatrick (Somers, Conn.) and Melissa Weiss (Ann Arbor, Mich.)—assisted by Anne Ziniti (Cumberland, R.I.)—tallied one apiece in the second to give USA a 3-0 lead at halftime. Canada scored the lone goal of the third frame, but USA got it back in the final minute when Jen Mathis (Dedham, Mass.) scored.

The Men's O-65 squad put up their best performance of the tournament against Wales in their final match. After a slow first half that saw Wales score six goals, USA rallied in the second half. The third quarter was an even 0-0, and the fourth quarter went 2-1 in favor of Wales, giving Wales a 8-1 victory. USA's lone goal came via a penalty corner in the final seconds from Neville Gardner (Bethlehem, Pa.). Larry Zappone (Colorado Springs, Colo.) put on an excellent display on defense, and was named man of the match. The O-65 Men closed out with a fifth place finish.

The Men's O-35 squad fell 9-1 to Australia in the semifinals, and will face Wales tomorrow in the bronze match. Abdel Elketani (Danbury, Conn.) scored USA's lone goal in the third quarter.

It was a well-deserved and hard-fought victory for the O-60 Men, who clinched eighth with their first win of the tournament. Two goals in the first half from Erik Enters (Harleysville, Pa.) put USA up 2-0 at halftime. A third came in clutch from Bob Khosla (Phoenix, Ariz.), as Wales was able to put two up to end the third quarter. Leading 3-2 heading into the final frame, USA notched two more, scored by Greg Pereira (Fulton, Md.) and Manuel Morales (Miami, Fla.).

The USA O-55 Women ended with an exciting win against England to finish fourth overall. It was a back-and-forth game, with USA's Clara Ambrose (Westport, Conn.) tallying in minute 25 after a scoreless first quarter. England answered back with a goal of their own just before halftime to tie it up. England took their first lead early in the third quarter, but it was short-lived, as USA's Kathy Frick (Doylestown, Pa.) scored to even it out at 2-2. Ambrose tallied a second goal in the final frame to clinch the win for USA. It was the team's best display of the weekend, finishing out the tournament on a strong note.

The O-55 Men fell 7-1 to Scotland in their final match, closing out in tenth place. The match started competitively, with USA trailing 2-1 at halftime following a Nils Hennig (New York, N.Y.) penalty stroke goal. While Ikuo Saito (Port Washington, N.Y.) made several key saves to keep the game close through the first three quarters, the team was able unable to convert on attack. Scotland took control in the final frame, scoring five goals to pull away for the 7-1 win.

It was a sixth place finish for the O-35 Women after falling to Ireland, 6-2, in their final match. Ireland put on a steady pressure, notching two goals in the first quarter after USA's Melissa McCarthy (Havertown, Pa.) scoring in the opening minute. McCarthy tallied another to tie it up at 2-2 in the 24th minute, but Ireland came back with four unanswered goals.

USA rematched the LX Ladies after falling 4-2 previously. LXL started the scoring early in the first quarter with a pair of goals, but USA quickly answered with a goal by Deb Atkins (Quarryville, Pa.) to make it 2-1. After a scoreless second quarter, each team tallied in the third, with USA's coming off a set piece conversion from Pat Rudy (Mill Hall, Pa.). Kathleen Tierney (West Chester, Pa.) impressed with a fantastic defensive save on the goal line during an LXL penalty corner. It was an overall strong performance from USA to end the tournament, as the O-65 Women took sixth place.

A heated start for Australia left USA's O-50 Men out of the competition, despite a strong performance for a majority of the match. USA was on their heels to start, allowing Australia to take a 6-0 lead after the first quarter. Once USA found their footing, it was a scoreless second quarter, followed by just one goal from their opponent in the third. The final quarter was in favor of USA, as the Golden Wolves scored twice to Australia's one. Rennie Milne (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Vernon Vassou (Arlington, Va.) tallied for USA in the 8-2 loss.

For more information on the 2026 MIWC, visit the event page.