Golden boys: MSU alumni help lead Team USA to unprecedented heights

MINOT, N.D. - When David Hoff was picked as the next head coach of the United States Sled Hockey team, he wasn't exactly the most popular pick.

For some within USA Hockey, he wasn't viewed as a flashy, high-profile coach.

There aren't many naysayers now.

Hoff '90, along with assistant coach Corey Gorder '01 and goaltender coach Eric Woodbeck '07, helped Team USA Sled Hockey to a gold medal at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in early March.

"I just feel so lucky to be part of this program - the players and staff are incredible people," Hoff said. "The success of this team really speaks to the time and hard work these guys have put in to get where they are. They have set a standard that is very high.

"We were definitely not the popular choice, but we were very comfortable with the opportunity and had a vision on how we thought we could make this sport better and how we could push the game forward. Some of those comments (made when they were hired) made their way back to us, and maybe it gave us a little chip on our shoulder."

Hoff and Gorder shared a moment that Gorder can only describe as surreal in the waning moments of Team USA's 6-2 win over rival Canada at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on March 15.

Late in the third period, with the game secured, Hoff said, "We did it." It harkened back to a similar moment four years ago in Beijing, China, where Gorder said the same thing to Hoff late in the duo's first gold medal game.

It was a simple, but emotional exchange.

"We kind of had this moment; for two guys that aren't exactly in touch with our emotional sides, it was very surreal," Gorder said. "There was just so much emotion, it was hard to swallow. All the things that go into a moment like this, all the personal things each of us brings, from the players to the staff to the coaches and me, it all goes away, and everyone comes together.

"This one was so different. The first one for me, during COVID, was very different. You didn't have families at the Beijing games; with this one, there were family and friends, spouses and girlfriends, siblings and parents, and it was just so special. I feel very blessed."

During Hoff and Gorder's tenure at the helm, they've utilized several goaltender coaches. While those individuals were quality coaches, none, however, made Team USA a priority. So, they looked locally in Woodbeck.

"We wanted someone who made our team their priority," Hoff said. "Corey and I now run that summer development camp. A few years ago, we did something without asking permission from the people who pay the bills at USA Hockey; we invited Eric to come out and be part of our summer camp. We wanted more goalie coaches around the country to gain knowledge of goaltending in sled hockey, and Eric was the first guy to come out and learn about it. Our general manager really liked Eric and how he fit in. It just seemed like a natural fit to add him as our goaltending coach in 2024."

Hoff, Gorder, and Woodbeck are all Minot State University graduates. Hoff earned his degree in math and taught in Bottineau until retiring in 2019. He continues to work in education at Rolette Public School. Gorder is a criminal justice and sociology major who was recently named dean of Dakota College at Bottineau. Woodbeck earned his math degree and continues as an adjunct professor of math at MSU while teaching in the Minot Public School system.

"I had the opportunity last spring to speak at the graduate school's graduation, and I talked about how I came to MSU for a degree in mathematics education, but I got so much more," Hoff said of his time at Minot State. "Dr. Holmen (Faculty Emeritus Bob Holmen '83/'88) is the most influential teacher I have had in my life. I learned so much about mathematics but also learned as much about making people feel valued. The way he treated me made me feel valued. If you make people feel valued, you can get them to do things even they may not have imagined."

"I think that the success that this program has had goes back to our education and being educators ourselves," said Woodbeck. "We treat the game as a learning opportunity for our guys to get better and put them into situations where they will have success. Since I was at MSU for graduate school, my attention to detail on certain things within my coaching style is something that I have utilized."

The gold medal game - and a small, well-deserved vacation in Italy after - was the peak of a very fantastic month for Gorder.

"From David as a head coach to my family to an employer allowing me to be a part of this, to achieve something both professionally as a career and in sports, it has been the ultimate high," Gorder said. "It really goes back to May, being the interim dead at DCB. I wasn't sure what the timing was going to be (as he applied and interviewed for the permanent dean) and, honestly, not sure how it worked out, but I'm grateful for all the people who have helped and allowed me to do this."

The run of the US Sled Hockey program is unprecedented, winning its fifth consecutive gold medal. It was a banner year for USA Hockey overall at the Winter Olympics in Milan, taking home gold in men's, women's, and sled hockey.

"I got the question about winning gold for all three teams starting last fall," Hoff said. "As a huge fan of those other two teams, I always said it would be very cool, but a lot would have to go right for it to happen. For the 18 days we spent in Milan, I answered that question every day as the other two teams had done their part. I just said that we had to put the blinders on and focus on our performance each day, as those gold medal-winning performances really had no effect on us."

While the team didn't dwell on the success of the men or women, the external pressure was certainly felt.

"For the women and men and then the sled team to win, it was mind-boggling," Gorder said. "There were a lot of people who don't know a damn thing about hockey saying you have to win it or it's a failure. There is a lot of stress in that. We really didn't talk about it much; we just tried to control what we could control."

If there was pressure, however, it didn't show. Team USA rolled through the competition, setting a Paralympic record with 46 goals.

"As a coach, there is definitely a sense of calm when you look at our line-up and see names like Declan Farmer, Jack Wallace, Josh Pauls, and Brody Roybal," Hoff said.

"I just kept reminding myself that we have leaders on this team for a reason and that they have all been here before and trust them," Woodbeck added.

While both Hoff and Gorder are quick to heap praise on the players for Team USA, the structure put in place in their early days has paid off.

"I think what we have done better than any other country is to try to grow the sport at the grassroots level and provide camps around the country for sled hockey players to attend and get quality coaching just like any other young boy or girl in this country," Hoff said. "The three of us are actively involved in these camps all over the country, and that's not a requirement for the coaches of the national team. Lots of people want to be part of the coaching staff of a national team that competes all over the world, but most are not interested in spending weeks and weekends throughout the year in different locations around the country coaching young kids and trying to help them get better."

That grass-roots mentality isn't lost on Gorder.

"All of this is very humbling," he said. "I'm glad I can take credit for a small portion of it. I think all of us feel the same way, being from North Dakota and our roots at Minot State and Bottineau, it's who we are. We are small-town, Midwest guys who are doers."