March 21 , 2008

The 10 countries competing in the championships will be divided into two pools of play. Teams in the A-Pool competed in the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, and teams in the B-Pool did not compete. The A-Pool will be comprised of: Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway and the United States. The B-Pool will be comprised of: Czech Republic, Estonia, Korea and Poland.

The U.S. Paralympics Sled Hockey National Team, which won bronze at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, is looking to improve on the silver medal they won in the 2004 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships.                 

Among the U.S. team representatives is Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H), who has been a member of the U.S. Team since 2005. He joined the team three years after he took a hit in a hockey game that left him with a broken back and an incomplete spinal cord injury. Chace made a significant impact in Torino, scoring the game-winning goal in the bronze medal game against Germany.

WHO:
Approximately 200 ice sledge hockey participants from 10 countries around the world

• A-Pool teams: Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway and the United States.
• B-Pool teams: Czech Republic, Estonia, Korea and Poland.

• Mike Blabac (Buffalo, N.Y.)
• Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.)
• Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.)
• Jim Connelly (Galloway, N.J.)
• Brad Emmerson (Amherst, N.Y.)
• Tim Jones (Mt. Ephraim, N.J.)
• Taylor Lipsett (Mesquite, Texas)
• Bruce Nelson (Columbus, Ohio)
• Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.)
• Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.)
• Greg Shaw (Park City, Utah)
• Nick Teodoro (North Caldwell, N.J.)
• Bubba Torres (Riverside, N.J.)

WHAT:
2008 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships

WHEN:
March 29 – April 5

WHERE:
New England Sports Center
121 Donald Lynch Blvd.
Marlborough, MA 01752

Visit: http://www.sledge2008.com/

Highlights from the 2008 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships will be available on www.usparalympics.com or www.paralympicsport.tv.

or more information on the 2008 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships, to apply for a credential, or to line-up an interview, please contact Brandon Hughes at (719)238-6350 or brandon.hughes@usoc.org.

About the International Paralympic Committee (IPC):
The IPC is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

About U.S. Paralympics:
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics web site at www.usparalympics.org.

bout Massachusetts Hockey:
As an affiliate of USA Hockey, Massachusetts Hockey, is the nationally recognized organization responsible for the administration and development of ice hockey in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.