Four Hockey Players Selected to Represent U.S. in 2001 Winter World University Games in Poland
Contact: Craig McCarthy, (740) 593-0251
Editors: Pictures of the four hockey players can be found at:
ATHENS, Ohio (February 1, 2001) -- Four Ohio University ice hockey players have been selected to join the U.S. National Collegiate Team for the 2001 Winter World University Games in Zakopane, Poland, Feb. 7 through 17.
The games involve international competition in ice hockey, figure skating, biathlon, skiing and speed skating. The U.S. hockey team, made up of players from the American Collegiate Hockey Association, leaves for Poland Feb. 4 and will return Feb. 18.
The Ohio players are senior defenseman Jack Pepper of Athens; senior forward Mike Perino of Ann Arbor, Mich.; sophomore defenseman Shane Print of Cleveland; and senior forward Sean Kass of Taylor, Mich. They constitute the second-most number of representatives from any school. Iowa State University has five players on the team and Penn State University joins Ohio University with four representatives. Iowa State Head Coach Al Murdoch will coach the U.S. team.
"The World University Games provides a great opportunity for the participating players and is something they'll never forget," said Ohio University Head Coach Craig McCarthy, who is in his eighth season at the helm. "The U.S. team is in a tough bracket and the level of play over there will be exceptional."
The trip will be the first international competition for any Ohio University hockey player. The 22 players selected were chosen by an eight-member panel in November and skated together for the first time in a three-day training camp at the University of Illinois in late December. The chosen players come from the more than 200 teams that make up the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
"The Ohio University players immediately came to the top of the selection pool," said Murdoch. "They all have strong academics and show great leadership and skill on the ice."
The World University Games hockey competition involves 10 teams divided into two brackets with each team playing a round-robin schedule. The U.S. team is in the (A) bracket with Croatia, Czech Republic, Russia and Ukraine, while the (B) bracket includes teams from Canada, Japan, Korea, Poland and Slovakia. The top two teams in each bracket will advance to the semifinals with the winners meeting for the championship. Teams not in those slots will play one additional game for places five through 12.
"We will have our hands full with the competition, and it will be a great chance for us to show the world that the ACHA plays a good brand of hockey," Pepper said, a cartography major. "Some of the countries are sending their best young players who are very talented and have international experience."
The trip is expected to be a learning experience for all of the players. Each player is required to keep a portfolio documenting his experiences during the trip. Each player also will spend at least two hours a day studying and will participate in educational field trips. It is estimated that the players will spend between 30 to 60 hours in academic-based activities during the trip.
"This will be a wonderful opportunity to interact with athletes from other countries," Print said, a management information systems major. "I look forward to competing against players who play a different style of hockey."
The cost of the trip is being funded by the Office of the President, Campus Recreation and Student Affairs. For more information, call the Ohio University Hockey Office at (740) 593-0251.
