Blackhawks repeat as Tier I Sled Classic champions

Brody Roybal scored eight points, including a hat trick, to lead the Blackhawks sled hockey team to a 8-2 win over the Avalanche to hoist the O’Connor Courage Trophy as Tier I Sled Classic champions for a second straight year.

Travis Dodson also scored a hat trick and Kevin McKee had three assists at MB Ice Arena in Chicago. Walter Wyder and Erica Mitchell also scored.

Wyder opened the scoring at 2:01 in the second period before Robert Easley tied it 1:11 later.

But then the Blackhawks scored four goals in less than 10 minutes. Roybal and Dodson each tallied two goals for Chicago to take a 5-1 lead at 14:06 in the second.

It didn’t take long for the Avalanche to respond in the third as Brandon Adam made it a three-goal game just 30 seconds in.

Mitchell found the back of the net at 2:06. Roybal completed his hat trick at 4:22 and Dodson followed at 13:55, with both goals coming off feeds from McKee.

Northlake native Roybal led the tournament in scoring with at least four points in each game.

Roybal and Dodson (Deming, New Mexico) and McKee (Chicago) were all teammates on the United States men’s national sled team that won gold at the 2018 Paralympics.

Other championship games

Tier II: Predators 5, Oilers 1

Tier III: Flyers 6, Oilers 3

Tier IV: Lightning 1, Stars 0 (SO)

Tier V: Lightning 5, Predators 2