Three members of PNW’s ACHA Division I Hockey Team were selected to play for Team USA at the Winter World University Games in Torino, Italy, in January.  

Team Captain Andrew Remer, a Finance major; defenseman Carter Hobbs, a Finance Major, and goalie Cooper Olsen, a Mechanical Engineering major, were selected by Team USA. The Winter World Games will take place Jan. 13-23.  

The three players were part of the PNW hockey program’s 2024 GLCHL Tournament Championship team and helped lead the Pride to the Elite Eight of the ACHA DI Hockey National Tournament. 

“It was not something I knew was a possibility coming into the year,” said Remer. “A lot of work went into it, and it was an honor to be selected to such a prestigious team, and I am excited to represent my country.”

Remer believes the selection of three PNW Pride members is positive news for all of PNW and not just people affiliated with the athletics department.

“Being a regional university, it is something that everybody, athlete or not, is able to look at and say ‘wow, our school is being represented at an event that involves universities from all over the world,’” he said. “Everybody who is part of Purdue Northwest in any way, athletes or not, can see how cool that is for the university as a whole.  Having that worldwide recognition is fantastic.”

Team USA is made up of 23 players representing 10 different schools. Liberty University has five representatives, Adrian College and Purdue University Northwest each have three players, while Grand Canyon University, Minot State University, Ohio University, University of Arizona, and University of Nevada-Las Vegas each have two representatives. Maryville University and Missouri State University each have one representative.

Hobbs was also surprised at being selected to play with Team USA.

“It was a rush of emotions,” he said. “It made putting in all the work seem worth it, and I was ecstatic about the opportunity.”

Hobbs agrees that his and his teammates’ selections are good news for all of PNW.

“With being a Purdue school, and the excellence that goes into the overall university system, it ties into the excellence that we bring here, whether athletically or academically,” he said. “Our selections to Team USA showcase that.” 

Olsen believes being selected to Team USA is a step up for the athletics program.

“It just goes to show how much the talent has increased,” said Olson. “We have had All-American athletes and a lot of teams trending in the right direction as far as records go. It has been fun to be a part of that success, and for it to be recognized on a national scale is a big deal.”

He said the recognition could be eye-opening for incoming PNW student-athletes.

“Going into ACHA, I was not even aware of the opportunity,” said Olsen. “It just goes to show there are a lot of opportunities for ACHA or NCAA Division II to play beyond college athletics.”

Team USA will play Poland on Jan. 12, Japan on Jan. 14, Slovakia on Jan. 15 and Ukraine on Jan. 17. 

The games will be streamed at wugtorino2025.com/it/.