In a repeat of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics final, the contest was locked at one apiece before Pauls bagged what proved to be the goal that sealed victory for the US team 19 seconds into the extra period.

Russia, keen to avenge the 1-0 defeat to the US in the Sochi gold medal match last year, started brightly and they went ahead in the first period.

Maxim Kuzminykh hit a fierce effort which crashed against the far post, but luckily for Russia Ivan Berdnik was on hand to follow up and tap home the opener.

Despite outshooting the Americans early on, their offence struggled to find their rhythm throughout the second and third periods as the US began to grown in confidence, and they restored parity midway through the middle frame thanks to Kevin McKee's low drive.

From then on, the US went in search of a winner but they were met with stern resilience from netminder Evgeny Plotnikov, who kept their efforts at bay until Pauls rifled an unstoppable shot past Plotnikov to ensure the US kept their unbeaten record intact on their way to taking gold.

The result means the US now holds two of the three most important ice sledge hockey titles and they will bid to complete the set when they host the International Paralympic Committee Sledge Hockey World Championships, due to begin in Buffalo, New York, next month.

Tyler McGregor (second right) hit a double as host nation Canada beat South Korea 4-1 to claim the bronze medal ©Getty Images





In the third-placed play off, host nation Canada recovered from their semi-final defeat to Russia as they clinched bronze by virtue of a 4-1 win over South Korea.

The final proved to be a frenetic, high-paced affair which provided the sold-out crowd inside the Leduc Recreation Centre with bundles of entertainment.

Two goals from Tyler McGregor and others from Derek Whitson and Adam Dixon helped them to a commanding win against South Korea.

McGregor opened the scoring but the Canadians were pegged back by Jong-Kyung Lee's equaliser before they asserted their dominance with three unanswered goals.

It was the first time in the tournament's history that the colour of their medal was not gold or silver but it was nonetheless the eighth year in a row where they have finished in the top three.

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