Scott Hogsett, who earned All-Tournament honors at the 2006 Canada Cup, will be competing in his first World Championships.

Twelve teams will compete for the chance to be called world champion. The teams will be separated into two pools, with the third-ranked United States playing in Pool A against No. 1 New Zealand, No. 6 Germany, No. 8 Japan, No.

9 Denmark, and No. 11 Switzerland. The U.S. opens pool play on Sept. 12 against Japan. Following three days of round-robin play within the pool, championship round play begins on Friday, Sept. 15 and the medal games will be played on Saturday, Sept. 16.

"It was a long trip over, but we've been here for a few days now and the team is acclimating well," said U.S. head coach James Gumbert (Austin, Texas). "Japan is a team that has a lot of speed and executes well. They will be a good challenge for us to get started on our quest for World Championship gold."

This team is comprised of a solid group of veterans, but also has five athletes making their debut on the U.S. National Team. Mark Zupan (Austin, Texas), Andy Cohn (Tempe, Ariz.), Bryan Kirkland (Leeds, Ala.), Norm Lyduch (Austin, Texas), and Steve Pate (Kalispell, Mont.) all return from the 2002 World Championships and all but Pate represented the U.S. in a bronze medal effort at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, as well. Scott Hogsett (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Will Groulx (Portland, Ore.) also were members of the 2004 team, but are playing in their first World Championships. Seth McBride (Juneau, Alaska/Portland, Ore.), Justin Patterson (Salinas, Calif.), Chance Sumner (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Jason Regier (Denver, Colo.), and Nick Springer (St. Petersburg, Fla./New York, N.Y.) are the five athletes playing in their first major international competition.

"The competition from the other countries continues to get better and we definitely have something to prove," said Zupan, a four-year national team veteran. "It's nice that we were able to beat most of these teams in a couple tournaments earlier this summer, but now is when the games matter and our goal is to get back the World Championship title and we're going to need everyone on the team to contribute in order for us to achieve that."

The United States is the defending silver medalist from the last World Championships. Their upset loss to Canada in the 2002 final was the first loss suffered by a U.S. team in World Championship competition. Aside from the North American teams, other top contenders for the gold medal include New Zealand, Great Britain, and Australia.

For more information, or to arrange an athlete interview, please contact Susan Katz at susank@lakeshore.org. Complete game results will also available at www.wwrc2006.co.nz.

2006 U.S. Paralympics Wheelchair Rugby National Team Roster

Andy Cohn (Mesa, Ariz.)
Will Groulx (Portland, Ore.)
Scott Hogsett (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Bryan Kirkland (Leeds, Ala.)
Norm Lyduch (Austin, Texas)
Seth McBride (Juneau, Alaska/Portland, Ore.)
Steve Pate (Kalispell, Mont.)
Justin Patterson (Salinas, Calif.)
Jason Regier (Denver, Colo.)
Nick Springer (St. Petersburg, Fla./New York, N.Y.)
Mark Zupan (Austin, Texas)

About Lakeshore Foundation U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site

Lakeshore Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with physical disabilities through fitness, recreation, and athletics. These programs help children and adults with physical disabilities maintain healthy and active lifestyles, as well as develop stronger self-esteem and improve independent living skills. The United States Olympic Committee designated Lakeshore Foundation an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site in 2003. Along with the nation's other Olympic Training Sites, Lakeshore Foundation plays a critical role in the success of U.S. athletes. For more information, visit www.lakeshore.org <http://www.lakeshore.org>.