USA WOMEN’S GOALBALL IMPROVES TO 2-0 AT TOKYO PARALYMPICS

U.S. men fall to host Japan TOKYO, Japan (Aug. 27, 2021) – The USA Women’s Goalball improved to 2-0 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with a convincing 10-0 victory over Egypt on Friday at Makuhari Messe Hall C. The American squad built a 9-0 halftime lead before scoring the clincher three minutes into the second half to end the contest on the 10-goal gap. Amanda Dennis (Peachtree City, Ga.) led the way with four of the team’s first five goals, while Lisa Czechowski (Boonton, N.J.), Eliana Mason (Beaverton Ore.) and Asya Miller (Portland, Ore.) contributed two goals apiece to…  Read More

USA MEN’S GOALBALL RECORDS STATEMENT WIN OVER WORLD CHAMPION BRAZIL

Opening match of Tokyo 2020 tournament goes to U.S., 8-6 TOKYO, Japan (Aug. 26, 2021) – The USA Men’s Goalball Team served notice they are a force to be reckoned with in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games goalball competition as they opened with an 8-6 victory over defending world champion Brazil on Thursday at Makuhari Messe Hall C. The win came a day after Brazil defeated defending Paralympic champion Lithuania, 11-2. The game also marked the Paralympic Games debut for U.S. Head Coach Keith Young since taking over the program in 2019. “It validates what I’ve asked for when asked…  Read More

USA WOMEN’S GOALBALL TEAM OPENS TOKYO WITH WIN OVER BRAZIL

Rematch of Rio 2016 bronze medal game once again goes in U.S. favor TOKYO, Japan (Aug. 25, 2021) – Picking right up where they left off five years ago, the USA Women’s Goalball Team opened the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with a 6-4 victory over Brazil. The game was a rematch of the bronze-medal contest at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, where the American squad also prevailed, 3-2. Five of the six members of the U.S. team in Tokyo were part of that bronze-medal winning Rio squad, so the familiarity with their opponent was instrumental. “It’s to our advantage to have…  Read More

Goalball Gametime with John Kusku

John Kusku was a member of the silver-medal-winning U.S. Men's Goalball Team at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and is headed to Tokyo to represent Team USA once again. By day, he is a high school math and physics teacher with a background in music. Find out more about John in this Q&A: Q: How did you initially get involved in goalball? A: I have a degenerative hereditary eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). It causes me to have tunnel vision and night blindness. I was diagnosed with a vision problem at around six months old, and with RP at…  Read More

Goalball Gametime with Tyler Merren

Tyler Merren is the most experienced member of the U.S. Men's Goalball team competing in Tokyo. These Games will mark his fourth Paralympics and he has two medals in his collection...a bronze from 2004 and a silver from 2016. Tyler and his teammates will be gunning for that elusive gold medal in Tokyo. Find out more about this Western Michigan grad in this Q&A: Q: How were you exposed to goalball? A: My first game of goalball was in May of 1999 at a Michigan Sports Education Camp at Western Michigan University put on by Dr. Paul and Sue Ponchillia.…  Read More