USA Hockey nominates players for 2014 Paralympic Team

"I am excited about this skilled group of players that we'll be taking to Sochi."

"We're very happy with the roster we have put together," said Dan Brennan, general manager of the U.S. Paralympic ice sledge hockey team. "Going back to try-outs in the summer, I can't say enough about the depth of the talent we have available to us. It's a tremendous luxury to have, yet it made the final player selection very difficult."

The 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will take place 7-16 March in Sochi, Russia. All ice sledge hockey games will be played at Shayba Arena and USA has been drawn in Group B alongside hosts Russia, South Korea and Italy. Group A will feature world champions Canada, Czech Republic, Norway and Sweden. A complete game schedule, as well as television coverage and live streaming information, will be available at a later date.

"I am excited about this skilled group of players that we'll be taking to Sochi," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. Paralympic ice sledge hockey team, who is in his third season leading the U.S. National sledge hockey team. "I like the chemistry that is building among them. We have some players with extensive Paralympic experience, in addition to younger players who can't wait to step up to the highest level of competition in our sport."

Eight players return from the 2010 U.S. squad that captured the gold medal at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. The list includes goaltender Steve Cash , who was named the top goaltender of the 2010 Games after not conceding a single goal in five games, and defenseman Taylor Chace, who was named the best defenseman in Vancouver.

Additional Paralympic veterans include defensemen Nikko Landeros, Josh Pauls and Andy Yohe; and forwards Taylor Lipsett, Adam Page and Greg Shaw. Cash, Chace, Lipsett and Yohe also earned bronze medals at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

A total of 15 players on the Paralympic roster were members of the 2012-13 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team that won silver at the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship. That list includes Tyler Carron, Declan Farmer, Army Sgt. Jen Lee, Dan McCoy, Kevin McKee, Army veteran Rico Roman, Marine Corps veteran Paul Schaus and Marine Corps veteran Josh Sweeney, in addition to Cash, Chace, Landeros, Lipsett, Page, Pauls and Shaw.

Brody Roybal, who turned 15 in May, is the youngest player on the roster. He is making his debut with the national team this season.

The 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team is the first to be nominated.

U.S. Paralympic Team nominees for alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, sled hockey, snowboarding and wheelchair curling will be finalized by the USOC no later than Feb. 21, 2014, the deadline to submit Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games delegation rosters to the International Paralympic Committee. Selection procedures and dates can be found at the Team USA homepage.

2014 U.S. Paralympic ice sledge hockey team nominees (subject to USOC approval)

Tyler Carron (Fort Collins. Colo.)

Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.)

Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.)

Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.)

Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.)

Jen Lee (San Francisco, Calif.)

Taylor Lipsett (Plano, Texas)

Dan McCoy (Cheswick, Pa.)

Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa)

Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.)

Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.)

Rico Roman (Portland, Ore.)

Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.)

Paul Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y.)

Greg Shaw (Merritt Island, Fla.)

Josh Sweeney (Phoenix, Ariz.)

Andy Yohe ((Bettendorf, Iowa)