Five Peterborough Phantoms players and a coach at a World Para tournament in the United States

​Netminder Susi Marguerite, defenders Sarah Hope and Alysha Atkinson, and forward Stacey Quirk have all been selected to play for GB in the World Para Ice Hockey, Women’s World Challenge in Green Bay, USA between August 31 and September 3.

Quirk also played on the GB Mens team who won gold and promotion from Division C at last year’s World Championships.

The team will be coached by Ian Offers who also guides the Phantoms squad who have qualified for the end-of-season play-offs in the British Para League.

The city side will soon play under the umbrella of the National League Peterborough Phantoms organisation.

GB will face USA, Canada, Team Europe and Team Asia in the five-team World Challenge tournament. They face Team Asia first on August 31.

Offers said: “We feel we have a team that this year will be pushing to bring home a medal position from the tournament.

"Last year the team was new and had only existed for 10 months so the tournament was a big learning experience for the players.

"This year the players have been playing in the British League and all have developed a lot as athletes over the last 12 months.

“It’s great to see the Women’s World Challenge expanding with more players on Team Europe and Team Asia debuting this year.

"By next year we are looking forward to more nations entering their own team as we push towards a future World Championship and then work towards the women’s game being included in the Winter Paralympic Games.”

Since its debut at the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Games, the Paralympic version of ice hockey has quickly become one of the largest attractions for spectators.

It is fast-paced, highly physical and played by male and female athletes with a physical impairment in the lower part of the body. Instead of skates, players use double-blade sledges that allow the puck to pass beneath.

Players use two sticks, which have a spike-end for pushing and a blade-end for shooting.