With 100 days to until the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships in
Buffalo, USA, US team captain Josh Sweeney has warned rival nations that his
Paralympic gold medal winning side from Sochi 2014 is now even stronger heading
into April’s event.
From 24 April-2 May, the world’s eight best teams will be in Buffalo, USA, for
the World Championships, the biggest competition since the Sochi 2014 Paralympic
Winter Games.
In Sochi, the USA defeated Russia 1:0 to win gold, whilst defending world
champions Canada took bronze with a 3:0 victory over Norway. Forward Sweeney,
who posted four goals and four assists in 12 games last season, believes his
team will be the one to beat in Buffalo.
“I think that the US team going into Buffalo is stronger physically,” said
Sweeney who scored the winning goal in Sochi, a feat that saw his name trend
globally on Twitter, such was the worldwide coverage of the game.
“I feel like we are even faster than we were in the Paralympics but some of the
guys have retired, so we have lost the people who have been on the team for nine
plus years with the experience they have.
“Whilst we are stronger, we don’t have that experience that we had going into
the Paralympics, but I think we are stronger overall.”
The eight teams competing in Buffalo have been split into two groups, with only
the top two teams in each progressing through to the semi-finals.
Defending champions and Sochi bronze medallists Canada are drawn in Group A
alongside Czech Republic, Norway and Japan.
Group B will feature hosts USA, who finished with world silver in 2013, Russia,
Italy and Germany.
For more information about the event, please visit: www.buffalo2015.com
