Vejle, Denmark – Team USA opened the 2022 WWR World Championships today with a 56-45 win over 10th ranked Germany. Top scorers for the United States were Kory Puderbaugh (Boise, ID) with 16, Chuck Aoki (Minneapolis, MN) with 9 and Jake Daily (Freeburg, IL) with 7. Puderbaugh was also WWR’s Player of the Game.
From the opening moments the U.S. dominated the court employing a smart defense coupled with an aggressive offense. Every player for Team USA got court time today, an important part of this first match. “We had a good plan going in, ” said interim head coach, Joe Delagrave. “We opened really strong which is what we needed to do against a team like Germany. They have some experienced players who can pic and roll really well; we were able to shut that down early. Mission accomplished today but we can get better throughout the tournament.”
Next up for the United States on Wednesday is the first of two, two game days in pool play as the Americans face France at 4:15 a.m. CT and New Zealand at 12:15 CT . “We need to keep our battery levels up for a long day tomorrow, “ said Delagrave. “Rest and recovery is really important today going into a two game day tomorrow. We will be ready.”
Catch the livestream of all the action from Vejle at https://worldwheelchair.rugby/2022/10/09/watch-the-2022-wheelchair-rugby-world-championships/ and check in for all the stats and highlights at usawr.org.