Thursday, May 29, 2014
Inline Team Has NCAA Feel
USA Hockey names roster for next week’s World Championship in Czech Republic.
Nine schools will be represented on the U.S. National Inline Team that will compete in the Inline Hockey World Championship to be held June 1-7 in Pardubice, Czech Republic.
Current college players John Siemer (Northern Michigan) and Kyle Novak (Western Michigan) are among the eight players on the 14-man roster with college ties. Head coach Joe Cook, a former Miami defenseman, leads the team for the fifth time.
The U.S. is the defending champion in the event and has played for the gold medal in four of the past five tournaments.
Novak is one of three Western Michigan players on the roster. Goaltender Jerry Kuhn played for the Broncos from 2007-11, while defenseman P.J. Kavaya played three years in Kalamazoo before finishing his college career at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Incoming Bowling Green recruit Tyler Spezia, who spent this past season with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, is on the team as well.
Collegians on the U.S. National Inline Team
| G | Jerry Kuhn | Western Michigan |
| D | Derrick Burnett | Air Force |
| D | P.J. Kavaya | WMU/UW-Eau Claire |
| D | Pat Lee | UW-Stevens Point |
| D | Raf Rodriguez | Robert Morris |
| F | Kyle Novak | Western Michigan* |
| F | John Siemer | Northern Michigan* |
| F | Tyler Spezia | Bowling Green# |
| F | Matt White | Nebraska Omaha |
* Current player
# Incoming freshman