Written by Peter Quartuccio
Photo by Carter Farmer
Team USA could not have entered these Paralympics with higher expectations. A consistently strong sled hockey program, the U.S. has flexed its muscles over the past year and a half, becoming what many consider the premier sled hockey team in the world. Their talent is unquestioned, but their play on the ice has left the team wide open to criticism. They have not yet had a thoroughly dominant performance during the 2010 Paralympics—nothing, for instance, like the 10-1 beating Canada (who many predict will meet the U.S. in the Gold Medal game should Team USA advance) put on Sweden Sunday night.
Team USA can be viewed as either one of two things: an over-hyped crop of unfulfilled potential, or a dormant volcano bound to erupt. Team Norway hopes for the former, but does not have to rely on hope alone. The Norwegians are always a threat come time for the Paralympics, and have shown as much by medaling in every year since sled hockey’s inception as a Winter Paralympic event. They have, in fact, never left the Paralympics with anything less than Silver since 1994. Norway has not been the powerhouse they’ve been in the past this year, narrowly beating out inferior competition and losing badly to Team Canada, but the U.S. cannot afford to overlook and underestimate a team that could very well put an end to their Gold Medal dreams.
A loss tomorrow would be a crushing disappointment for the U.S., whereas a win would likely set up “the clash of the titans” that Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, alluded to in his speech during the 2010 Opening Ceremony last Friday night. Much is to be gained by a win, and even more to be lost by a defeat for Team USA on Thursday night, and if anything can get them playing to their capability, this semifinal matchup can. Now is their chance to avenge the loss that the U.S. Olympians suffered at the hands of the Canadians last month, and the smart money says they will relish the opportunity.
For more coverage on the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, please visit www.WheelchairSportsFederation.org.
