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Buffalo 2015: Italy preview
Reigning European champions Italy have an impressive mix of youth and experience heading into Buffalo 2015. 17 Apr 2015
Italy's Gregory Leperdi aims to qualify directly for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.
Many of their players have been playing since the 2010-11 season, but they can also rely on even more experienced hands such as triple Paralympian forward Greg Leperdi.
Players such as 23-year-old Andrea Macri and 19-year-old Christoph Depaoli form part of a young attack, that coach Massimo Da Rin believes will trouble their fellow Group B teams, Germany, Russia and the USA.
Italy finished sixth at both the 2013 World Championships A-Pool and Sochi 2014. In 2014-15 they have beaten Germany, but lost games against Paralympic silver medallists Russia, and will face a tough challenge in the preliminary rounds with match-ups scheduled with Paralympic champions the USA as well.
But if anyone has the determination to do it, it is the Italians.
Key players
Gianluigi Rosa (defence); Florian Planker (forward)
Head coach
Massimo Da Rin
World Championship A-Pool medals
None
Paralympic medals
None
Team roster
Stillitano, Santino (G)
Rosa, Gianluigi (D)
Planker, Florian (F)
Winker, Werner (F)
Radice, Roberto (F)
Kalegaris, Sandro (F)
Larch, Nils (F)
Balossetti, Bruno (D)
Araudo, Gabriele (G)
Chiarotti, Andrea (F)
Macri, Andrea (F)
Depaoli, Christoph (F)
Corvino, Valerio (F)
Leperdi, Gregory (F)
All team previews for the Buffalo 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships can be found here.
Buffalo 2015 will be shown live at Buffalo2015.com, and tickets are still available.
Related Images
Greg Leperdi scoots to the puck at the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Qualification Tournament in Torino, Italy.
Ice Sledge Hockey Team Italy at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympics
Santino Stillitano has been Italy's star goalie in its rise on the Ice Sledge Hockey scene in the last decade.
