Ex-Wildcat Sigmund on USA inline team

Courtesy USA Hockey

USA Hockey named 14 players to the U.S. Inline National Team that will compete at the 2011 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship in Pardubice, Czech Republic, June 19-25.

Team USA will attempt to reclaim the gold medal that it won last year at the 2010 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship in Karlstad, Sweden. The roster announcement comes following a two-day pre-tournament tryout camp in Lakewood, Colorado.

“We had an excellent camp that should set us up for next week’s tournament,” said Rob Chornomud, head coach of Team USA. “As defending gold medalists, we have high expectations, and we are excited to get started.”

The roster is highlighted by 11 veterans of the U.S. Inline National Team, including C.J. Yoder, who will be representing the U.S. for the sixth time (2001, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010).

Ten members of the 2010 gold medal-winning U.S. Inline National Team are represented on the roster, including goaltenders Troy Redmann and Tommy Tartaglione; defensemen J.P. Beilsten, Anthony Miner, Gerald Osterkamp, Rafael Rodriguez and Yoder; and forwards Shawn Gawrys, Kyle Kraemer and former Northern Michigan skater Nathan Sigmund.

The three newcomers to Team USA include Junior Cadiz, Joey Doran and Tyler Walser.

Two former players win InLine silver

Courtesy Metro Jets

The United States was gunning for their first gold medal since 2006 at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championship on Saturday in Ingolstadt, Germany, but instead had to settle for silver as Sweden topped Team USA, 7-6.

Former Lake Superior State defenseman Steven Oleksy (pictured) and ex-Northern Michigan forward Nathan Sigmund played in all six games for the Americans.

“It’s never easy to lose a hockey game, especially to the team that knocked us out the previous year and completed a three-peat of world championships,” said Oleksy, who had an assist in the final game. “It’s always tough to get started in tournaments like that where in two weeks you have to meet, get to know, and learn how to play with complete strangers, but I feel as we progressed through the tournament, our team play grew stronger and so did my individual play.”

In the 14-year history of the IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship, the United States has earned gold medals in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2006; silver medals in 1998, 2001 and 2009; and bronze medals at the 2000, 2003 and 2005 tournaments.

Photo courtesy USA Hockey