U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team to Take on Team Canada

In Sports, Wheelin' and Dealin' by Beth Bourgeois

The 2006 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team will take on Team Canada for a three-game tournament in Boston, January 13-15, 2006.

The 15-man U.S. team includes team captain and Boston native Joe Howard (Kingston, Mass.) and Kip St. Germaine (East Falmouth, Mass.), both of whom were members of the 2002 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team that won gold at the 2002 Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The three-game series with Canada is intended to give each team practice prior to heading into the 2006 Paralympic Games, which take place in Torino, Italy, March 10-19, 2006.

The U.S. Team heads into the 2006 Paralympic Games as the second seed and Team Canada as the fourth seed, based on their performances at World Championships.

All games are free and open to the public.

Just as in ice hockey, sled hockey is played with 6 players (including a goalie) at a time. Players propel themselves on their sled by use of spikes on the ends of two 3-foot-long sticks, enabling a player to push himself as well as shoot and pass ambidextrously.

Rinks and goals are regulation Olympic-size, and games consist of three 15-minute, stop-time periods.

WHAT:

USA vs. Canada three game tournament

WHEN/WHERE:

Friday, January 13th

7:00 – 9:00pm – GAME – USA vs. Canada @ Harvard

Bright Rink

Harvard University
Western Avenue
Cambridge Ma.

02138

Saturday, January 14th

4:00 – 6:00pm – GAME – USA vs. Canada @ Harvard

Bright Rink

Harvard University
Western Avenue
Cambridge Ma. 02138

Sunday, January 15th

10:00 – 12:00pm – GAME – USA vs. Canada @ Babson College

Babson Skating Center
Babson College
150 Great Plain Avenue
Wellesley Ma. 02181

U.S. Team Roster:

Name/Hometown/Position

Steve Cash (St. Louis, Mo.) – goalie

Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.) – forward

David Conklin (La Crosse, Wis.) – defense

James Connelly (Galloway, N.J.) – defense

Bradley Emmerson (Amherst, N.Y.) – forward

Manual “Manny” Guerra (Plymouth, Minn.) – goalie

Michael Hallamn (Hatboro, Pa.) – defense

Lonnie Hannah (Mansfield, Texas) – forward

Joe Howard (Kingston, Mass.) – forward

Timothy Jones (My. Ephraim, N.J.) – defense

Andrew “Taylor” Lipsett (Mesquite, Texas) – forward

Chris Manns (Buffalo, N.Y.) – forward

Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.) – forward

Kip St. Germaine (East Falmouth, Mass.) – defense

Andy Yohe (Bettendorf, Iowa) – forward