NEWS.

IceBreakers’ Impact Our Community

2013-present….  

2013-2014   KEVIN MOELLER Always willing to volunteer for Spinal Cord Injury research and demonstrations; serves as a mentor on and off the ice; USAH Select Sled Camp Participant 2012-2014; Demonstrating EKSO robotic at Drake Center in the photo.

2014: CONNOR BARGE: DISABLED ATHLETE OF THE YEAR The Disabled Athlete of the Year Award recognizes a disabled athlete that has displayed incredible dedication to disabled hockey in the United States.
2018

UC Grad and IceBreakers’ Coach invents Smart Cushion: Kaitlin Burnam

https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/legacy/enews/2018/04/e26399.html

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2019 

MASON BAILEY   

RACHEL STEFFEN   

JAMIE BENASSI

OZUM BOROVA

These four veteran IceBreakers filmed individual messages to the community about the impact the IceBreakers and sled hockey have had on their lives 
2020 

Volunteer’s Capstone to benefit IceBreakers’

Michael Bennett, a volunteer pusher for an IceBreakers’ player is focusing his UC Mechanical Engineering Technology capstone project on development of an adaptive piece of exercise equipment to benefit IceBreakers’ players.
2021 FIRST FEMALE ICEBREAKERS’ PLAYER TO ATTEND A NATIONAL WOMEN’S SLED HOCKEY CAMP – Jamie Benassi …and then the call came!!
https://www.facebook.com/IndySledHockey/photos/a.509129569627230/1021781185028730/?type=3&eid=ARAkDgY3dMy8jNOk2VjdWD1oGQM048jKP3ztW183XHtR-S5lHQ9wqTpbz-JTZtCSk1IcZebknA5QXeUL
2021-22 

2021

Rachel Steffen
Cincinnati Enquirer ATHLETE OF THE WEEK and at the Ohio Track and Field Championships, Rachel was runner-up in the 100, 5th in seated shot put, and 3rd in both the 400 and the 800!
And then came…2022: STATE CHAMPION x 2!

Congratulations to Rachel Steffen ’22 who was crowned the 2022 OHSAA Division 1 State Champion in both the Seated 800M AND the Seated 400M! These represent the first Track & Field state titles in MND history! Rachel also finished 2nd in the Seated 100M and 4th in the Seated Shot Put. What a way to end her high school athletic career!

2022
BEN MUSSELMAN – made the USA NATIONAL PARA HOCKEY TEAM !!!  

Cincinnati’s own JAMIE BENASSI and BEN MUSSELMAN to each play in their first INTERNATIONAL PARA ICE HOCKEY competition!

Jamie Benassi is joining her USA Women’s Para Ice Hockey team to play in her first international competition – The Womens World Sled Challenge in Green Bay, WI, August 26 – 28th, 2022. This event will allow women to compete and recruit disabled female athletes and their representative countries to support female disabled athletes.

Ben Musselman will be joining the USA Men’s Para Ice Hockey team for his first international competition taking place in the Czech Republic this fall.

Rachel was invited to and attended the USA Select Sled Development Camp in July! It was a week of training with the best sled hockey athletes and coaches at the Philadelphia Flyers training center in New Jersey. Important to note that Rachel was one of only two girls at the camp. We love to see you in the red, white, and blue, Rachel! 🏒💪🏼
2023

CINCINNATI CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF SLED HOCKEY 

Congratulations to Team USA on their gold medal win at the #ParaIceHockey men’s World Championships! Great job, Ben Musselman, on your World Championships debut! You made us proud. 💪🏽🏒
Thanks to @paraicehockey and Moose Jaw for making sure we had free access to watching the games, with play-by-play commentary, as well!

Women’s WORLDS – Green Bay, WI., 2022

  • The more spectators the better to achieve greater awareness and excitement across the country (and in the stands for the players!!)
  • The International team count is growing!
    • Japan announced joining women’s para hockey
    • Hoping Team Asia and Team Europe will have players who advocate for a team in their country.

2023

Women’s WORLDS – Green Bay, WI., 2023

Rachel Steffen played for TEAM WORLD to mark her FIRST international para hockey experience. —————- This book… It’s a heavy, relevant story, one that really needed to be told. About a boy whose family started over in a new country and gave everything, only to be repeatedly torn down by hate. My favorite part was seeing the photos at the end, of the Time To Dream Foundation (@ttdfoundation) and Hockey Diversity Alliance (@theofficialhda) players – Akim Aliu (@dreamer_aliu78) is making sure so many kids can have access to hockey and a community of support. Thanks for telling this story, I admire the bravery so much. Everyone should read it and let it inspire you to speak up whenever you see bullying, hazing, racism, and so on. Black History and Hockey is for Everyone are more than just sayings, we gotta live them, and carry them with us, always!

MORE…IN THE NEWS