Sean Farrell: Team USA college player is humble after ice hockey hat trick
Team USA hasn't let its lack of NHL stars hold it back in the opening men's ice hockey games at Beijing 2022. Meet college player Sean Farrell, who loomed large in the 8-0 win over China.
The United States of America’s men’s ice hockey team at Beijing 2022 features many exciting young prospects not least Harvard University forward Sean Farrell.
The college student wrote himself all over the USA’s opening match, an 8-0 win over People’s Republic of China on Thursday 10 February.
Left winger Farrell scored three and added two assists as the US notched seven goals in the final 40 minutes.
The hat trick is the first for an American male since Phil Kessel’s at Sochi 2014. And his five points is the most an American player has ever scored in a single match at the Olympic Winter Games.
One of Farrell’s assists caught the eye as much as his goals. From behind the net, Farrell played a behind-the-back, no-look pass to Noah Cates. Cates made no mistake, setting the US en route for their rout.
Farrell was unassuming when he recalled the pass.
"We were kind of cycling down in the corner and I think most times, we will have a guy out front," Farrell told NBC.
"I was kind of throwing it there. I knew someone would be going to the net and it ended up on Catesy's stick and he buried it."
Farrell scored the USA’s fourth, fifth, and eighth goals.
The first arrived with just two minutes remaining in the second period.
The second came from a Steven Kampfer pass from behind the goal, which Farrell finished off easily.
The third followed some excellent US passing. Farrell received the puck from Justin Abdelkader with 01:33 left on the clock and one-timed it past the Chinese goaltender.
Farrell is in his first season in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with Harvard.
He was a fourth-round pick for the Montreal Canadiens in 2020.
In 2020/21 he scored a record 101 points (29 goals, 72 assists) in 53 games for the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and was named player of the season.
The Canadiens prospect joins a US team who are learning to play with each other.
Without their NHL stars, the team comprises college players and overseas professionals.
China, who qualified as hosts, were never going to be the USA’s sternest test.
But on Saturday 12 February, they faced arch rivals Canada. This was another test passed, as the US recorded a 4-2 win.
Farrell provided an assist for Ben Meyers in the first period, putting the US 2-1 up.
Push as they might, the Canadians were unable to get back on level terms.