Roman Ober understands the nuances of keeping the score low on the ice and deck. The Shaler freshman will get a chance to see how that translates at a world tournament in early July.

Ober was chosen to play for the Team USA U16 team and will travel to Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, to play in the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation World Ball Hockey Championships.

“There’s an adjustment between the heavy puck and a light ball,” Ober said. “Obviously, one is on skates and the other is with shoes on the deck. It can be hard to adjust how fast the ball can move.”

Ober also plays ice hockey for the Pittsburgh Vengeance club and the Titans’ varsity team. Ober went 2-0 for Shaler this past season, putting up a .942 save percentage. He made 31 stops in a win over Norwin and stopped 18 shots against Wheeling Park.

Ober said he started playing ball hockey when he was 3 or 4 years old. Jeremy Bass, who will coach Team USA, has coached Ober since he was 9.

“His competitive level is good,” Bass said. “He is good with his angles and his positioning. He has a good awareness of the rink and is aware of what everyone’s job is.”

Ober’s most important task is controlling the chaos. Once the ball makes its way to the net, Ober is hyper aware of where the shot will be going once it makes it to him.

“I’m strong with rebound control,” Ober said. “I want to track the ball and kept it in front of me.”

Team USA will feature 22 players from across the country. The team had a tryout camp earlier this year where it selected the roster.

Bass said getting the team to gel together overseas can be a challenge.

“We want to get them to connect with kids who they usually don’t spend time with,” Bass said. “We have kids from different parts of the country, and they usually play against most of the kids who are on their team.”

Ober said when he went to the tryout camp to try to earn a spot on the team, he fought off nerves. He knew a few of the other players but also competed with many people he didn’t know.

“I wanted to play how I usually play,” Ober said. “I wanted to stay calm out there and have some fun.”

Ober is looking forward to going overseas for the first time. He plans to immerse himself in the culture to see what life is like in Slovakia.

He’s hoping to bring home a medal as well.

“It’s really exciting,” Ober said. “I can’t wait to do it.”