By SNC ATHLETICS
DE PERE – Three St. Norbert College men’s hockey players will participate in the 2023 Winter World University Games in January.
Senior forward Michael McChesney and senior defenseman Brendan Mark will play for Team USA, while junior forward Adam Stacho will play for Team Slovakia in a 12-team tournament. The tournament will run from Jan. 11-22 and will be played in upstate New York arenas in Lake Placid, Potsdam and Canton.
“To represent your country is a great honor and it is a no-brainer for them to participate,” St. Norbert coach Tim Coghlin said. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to play in an international competition.”
McChesney, a Dickinson, N.D., native, leads the Green Knights in scoring with nine goals and nine assists for 18 points in 12 games this season. In 67 career games, he has scored 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points.
Mark, a Grand Rapids, Minn., native, has scored one goal and two assists for three points in 12 games this season. In 66 career games, he has scored nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points.
Stacho, a Trnava, Slovakia, native, has scored three goals and four assists for seven points in nine games this season. In 39 career games, he has scored 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points.
Hobart College coach Mark Taylor is the head coach of Team USA, while St. Norbert alumnus Mike Szkodzinski is one of the assistant coaches and will be working with goaltenders.
Team USA’s 23-player roster is comprised entirely of NCAA Division III players, the first time they have represented the United States at the World University Games. The games are conducted under the auspices of the International University Sports Federation and is being played in the United States for the first time since being held in Lake Placid in 1972.
Team USA and Team Slovakia are both in Pool B, which also includes Great Britain, Korea, Kazakhstan and Hungary. Pool A includes Canada, Japan, Sweden, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Latvia.
Team USA opens on Jan. 11 against Great Britain, while Team Slovakia opens earlier that day against Hungary. The top two teams in each pool advance to the semifinals Jan. 21 at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid. The gold medal game will be held Jan. 22 and broadcast live on ESPN.