WHITESBORO, N.Y. -- The USA Blind Hockey Team has made its way to Oneida County for the first time.

"They're kind of my mentors. The players are teaching me things. I'm giving my tricks. They're giving me their tricks on the ice, in the locker room, walking around," said Utica College athlete Zach Borsoi, who also organized the event. 

USA Blind Hockey players are in Whitesboro taking part in a training camp.

The camp is thanks to a partnership with the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

"These are the best of the best, and there are a lot of great blind hockey players, but we critique them just as every elite hockey team would be critiqued and these are the 18 athletes that made the cut," said Doris Donley, the USA Blind Hockey Team General Manager.

Blind hockey has its own challenges.

"I wouldn't say they're better athletes or we're better athletes. It's a completely different game. Pucks are a lot heavier, so the aerial puck, aerial passes are not there as well. So it changes the whole mentality of the game. There's certain rules that change the game," Borsoi said.

One of the biggest differences of blind hockey is the size and sound of the puck.

"It is made of metal instead of rubber like a standard NHL puck would be," said USA Blind Hockey Representative Kevin Shanley. "It's made of metal so that it can be hollow and it has ball bearings inside so that you can hear the puck as it moves around on the ice."

Another difference is that the net is a foot shorter.

"The reason for that is to try to keep the puck down on the ice to help the goalies out. The goalies are totally blind and they're also blindfolded to make sure that they're not getting any visual cues from what's happening in front of them," Shanley said.

All of the training is leading up to a preseason game being held this weekend against local well-known hockey players who are not blind and will not be blindfolded.

The preseason game is (July 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

It's happening at the Whitestown Community Center and Ice Rink.

Tickets are $7 and benefit the USA Blind Hockey Team.