For Italy’s Sled Hockey Team, ‘This One Means More’

Macri said there were only 30 players in the entire country, and just two club teams — down from three a year ago — and Italy faces daunting odds against teams with vastly superior resources and levels of commitment.

Another factor that made Friday’s win so special was that Italy’s path to the fifth-place playoff game was dispiriting at times. The Italians were 1-2 in group play, with their only win coming against Slovakia, another team with scant history or resources. Italy was then shut out by Korea, 4-0, in the knockout stage.

Over all, it was outscored, 15-0, in its three losses, and 18-6 overall.

And none of those games were against the top tier of talented teams. Italy went into the tournament ranked seventh out of 16 in the world, but games against the elites of the sport can be sobering.

“It is amazing to play against the U.S. and Canada,” Macri said. “But if you are an athlete and you enter on the ice and you already know that you lose the game; first time, OK. Second time, OK, third time, OK. The fourth time you say, ‘But, why am I playing? Why?’”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/12/sports/italy-sled-hockey.html