Savojarna 38 WCoH - Everything Thread

by **Terre Septentrionale** » Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:15 pm

Terre Septentrionale wins in shoutouts

Landsmark, Savojarna - It's the first time Terre Septentrionale is participating in the World Cup of Hockey and, for their first game, they were playing against Anthor, a former WCoH winner. With 13:38 remaining in the first period Anthor's 2nd pairing left defenseman is penalized for hooking and the Nordiques are going on the power play! A minute later, Czeslaw Niemczynowicz won the face off on the offensive zone. Kévin Beauregard passed the puck to Krzysztof Klepczynski at the blue line , who shoots wide right. Melania Zyskowska takes the loose puck, she skates behind the net and passes to her twin sister, Emilia Zyskowska, in front of the net. Emilia Zyskowska puts the puck past Lester Brandon and Terre Septentrionale is leading 1-0. With less than three minutes remaining in the 1st period, Alexander Blackman scores a one-timer goal and the game is tied at 1-1.

Midway in the 2nd period, Graham Robertson is on a two on one with Austin Poindexter. Robertson passes the puck to Poindexter who passes back to Robertson who shoots and he scores. The Ducks are leading 2-1 and this is the score at the end of the 2nd period.

The Reprezentacja Nordycki, is trailing by one goal and they bombarded Anthor's goalkeeper Lester Brandon with 8 shots on goal in the first five minutes, then with 14:29 remaining, Virginie Woodbury passed the puck to Zofia Stepniewska, who'se on a breakaway. Stepniewskaskates and she puts the puck past Brandon and the game is tied at two two! Both teams played well for the remainder of the 3rd period but no one scores and the period ends with a 2-2 tie. We go to overtime, but no one scored in overtime and then it's shoutouts time!

The Ducks are technically the home team and choose to shoot first. Austin Poindexter is the first player to shoot. He skates and tried to put the puck past Jennifer Ciccarelli and he scores. Frédérique Lainé skates and she tries the five hole and she scores!

Harold Jewel skates and he tries the wrist shot but it's blocked by Ciccarelli. Melania Zyskowska skates with the puck and tried to put it past Brandon and she scores.

Albert Kersey comes to shoot, he has to score or it's over. He also tried to put the puck past Ciccarelli but she makes the save and Terre Septentrionale won the game 2–2 (2–3 SO)!

BOXSCORE

1st period
12:31 - Emilia Zyskowska assisted by Melania Zyskowska and Krzysztof Klepczynski
2:49 - Alexander Blackman assisted by Adam Bohatec and Erhardt Müller

2nd period
11:10 - Graham Robertson assisted by Austin Poindexter

3rd period
14:29 - Zofia Stepniewska assisted by Virginie Woodbury and Kévin Beauregard

Gyatso-Kai

It was a bad performance by Anthor, which is suppose to beat most unranked teams. On matchday two, Terre Septentrionale is playing against Gyatso-Kai, which is making a come back after being absent for a couple of seasons. They were absent for so long that neither us or our neighbors from North Eurasia has ever heard of them and it will be an interesting matchup between the two unranked teams.

Germain Coutu, La tribune Septentrionnale

by **Neu Engollon** » Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:25 pm

Presents

'The IBEX'
NEU ENGOLLON NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM:

The Ibex and hockey in Neu Engollon

There is one professional hockey league in Neu Engollon, the NEHL, with an associated minor league known as B League. There is also a strong collegiate tradition in the sport, the NECHL is run by NECA (Neu Engollian Collegiate Association) and the NEHL pull their players from graduates of these top schools along with some B League players. The Ibex are all pulled from the NEHL, or Neu Engollian nationals playing in equivalent foreign leagues. Andre Manon and Ernst Volkzein recently retired from playing for both the Ibex and the NEHL and are in their fourth year of having the management helm of the Ibex. The Ibex brought home the Cup last year, a dream realized after so many heartbreaking runs for it over the years, and now they have little intention of giving that cup away. Not without a fight, anyway.

by **Austrakia** » Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:29 pm

AUSTRAKISCHE BUNDESRIEGE HOCKEY

Coaching Staff
Manager: Stephen Scheinkel
Coach: Gregor Riedlburg
Assistant Coach: Jonas Auchtel
Trainer: Anika Prieger

Starting Squad

Goalkeepers
GK: Jakob Bergweis
GK: Laurenz Renner
GK: Lukas Mittermeier

Defense
1st Line
LD: Horst Weingartner
RD: Erik Fuchs

2nd Line
LD: Alexander Bieden
RD: Oskar Straussmann

3rd Line
LD: Mathias Nalder
RD: Sebastian Edelmeier

Forwards
1st Line
LF: Jordan Hess
C: Julian Rottmann
RF: Otto Heilig

2nd Line
LF: Michael Weber
C: Marco Essmann
RF: Horst Pachmeier

3rd Line
LF: Simon Boltzmann
C: Niklaus Eigner
RF: Johann Schwarzlander

Reserves
C: Marcus Bemelmann
C: Tomas Frummel
D: Gabriel Meikhardt
D: Linus Schellhaus
W: Viktor Meilhauer
W: Anton Goerschen

Home Rink: Adelbert Hoeniger Memorial Stadium
Location: Vilgenna, capital of the Bundesrepublik
Capacity: 11,240
Construction: 1957

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to My Players: Yes (No career enders)
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes
RP Ejections for My Players: No
Godmod Other Events: No

by **Gyatso-kai** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:15 am

::: AWAY Locker Room, Stadion Traktorov, St Andrei, Savorjarna :::
2350 hours local time, 06 October 2019.3

We won... We won our first game...

As each of the men on the Ice Bisons walked towards the AWAY Locker Room at the Stadion Traktorov, they each held out a hand to give each staff member a fist bump on their way into the actual locker room. The stadium itself was certainly 'quaint', given that it could seat just under twelve-thousand fans. Of course, that was to be expected in a town that was known for dedication to the old religion and lived off of tourism and the cultural prowess of the area. To the Avatarians, it would be like building a stadium on the Island of the Avatars; a small island located in the Bay of Xidao of the coast of the Earth Kingdom Province of Haikou, it was an island that many swore was the conduit for the Avatar's spiritual energy. There was many temples found on the island, all devoted to the Avatar; where as many religions over the world have one main temple or church devoted to their spiritual leader, with the Avatar being born through the lands of Gyatso-kai, any province or town where an Avatar has been born has a temple dedicated to that particular Avatar. Or, in the case of the nomadic Air Avatars -- like the current Avatar, Aang -- a special shrine would be constructed in the Air Temple closest to where the Avatar was born.

Yeah, we wouldn't play a game near an Avatar temple...

With each team member having made their way into the room, each being given a cheer by those who were there already, Song Unataq was the second to last man in the room. A tradition that had spawned during training camps, Song would always be the second-to-last man to enter the room as Captain. Following him would be the designated 'Rear Guard" for the team, which in and of itself was another tradition of the Ice Bisons. Usually a defenseman, the Rear Guard would be the one to make sure no one was left behind ; if a player was called for an interview right after the game, the Rear Guard would wait on the edge of the ice for the player to finish before he would escort him back into the locker room. After escorting the final member of the team in, the Rear Guard would utter a phrase signifying the room to be secured and the team all together. For this tournament, Hed Torvik had been selected as Rear Guard, and with his massive stature, he certainly fit the stereotype of a Guard; 198 centimetres tall and well over 100 kilograms, Hed was not a small man. Not to mention, given his age of just 26, he would certainly increase in size as the years went on.

Now to just keep making the National Team...

With Song taking his seat in front of his locker, he looked up towards the door, and just as he settled his vision, Hed walked into the room, tapping the top of the entry way before taking a deep breath.

"Victory today is only the first step," Hed announced as he came into the room. The other men all leaned forward, taking closed fists and banging them on the floor as Hed made his way to his locker. Song, as Captain, was required to answer back the Rear Guard's call, an act he most certainly felt happy to oblige in.

"Victory tomorrow is only the next step."

Hed took his seat a place over from where Song was, and gave him a satisfied glance. The game against Torpedo Queendom had certainly been a good one for the two men. Song himself had recorded a pair of goals and Hed had gotten a goal and an assist to open Multi-Verse Play for the Ice Bisons. They hadn't taken as many penalties as they thought there were set up to do - happens whenever you have players from different game cultures come together. Actions that might not be even noticed on home ice are amplified by the officials on the ice. A good example of this was the Elbowing penalty called on Hed in the first period. Back in Gyatso-kai, the hockey played in the AHL was a bit more aggressive than many other teams played in, or at least as far as Song was concerned.

No major penalities... Cannot complain...

For now, no other words would be exchanged. Head Coach Ishii had made his way to talk with the other coaches before addressing the team, as well as to allow the men to freshen up a bit before a 'debriefing'. Once they returned, Ishii would go over the good and the bad, followed by each coach speaking of their direct field to the players. All the players would segment off, so each could see the presentations that were being shown to each Corps of players.

Not that I want debriefed... I want dinner, a shower, and a warm bed...

Goal Summary

First Period
GKI- Song (Kuang) [02:31]

Second Period
GKI- Song (Huan, Hed) [08:44]
TDQ - ***** (*****, *****) [14:20]
GKI- Hed (Kil'or) [18:01]

Third Period
GKI- Cheung (Song) [19:20] EMPTY NET

Penalty Summary

First Period

03:18 --- TDQ --- High-sticking, 2-min --- **** drawn by Watang K.
09:11 --- TDQ --- Hooking, 2-min --- **** drawn by E. Nacer
15:02 --- GKI --- Elbowing, 2-min --- Hed T. drawn by ****

Second Period

08:53 --- GKI --- Tripping, 2-min --- Hosaka S. drawn by ****
11:08 --- TDQ --- Hooking, 2-min --- **** drawn by Song U.
19:17 --- GKI --- Slashing, 2-min --- Song U. drawn by ****

Third Period
09:53GKI --- Tripping, 2-min, Watang K. drawn by

Goaltending

Team	Name		SA	GA	Saves	SV%	TOI
GKI	BAO		30	01	29	0.967	60:00
TDQ	******		34	04	30	0.882	59:14

Shots on Goal Summary


TEAM	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	FINAL
GKI	11	12	11	XX	34
TDQ	12	08	10	XX	30

Injury Summary

**No Injuries Reported**

Three Stars

First Star: Song Unataq (2G, 1A)
Second Star: Bao Lin (29 Saves, 30 SA)
Third Star: Hed Torvik (1G, 1A)

◄ ◄ ◄ ◄ NEXT GAME ► ► ► ►

Match Day 02 - 7 November vs

Terre Septentrionale_UR

In the first 'Home Game' of the Tournament, the Ice Bisons look to take on the Nordiques of Terre Septentrionale. A team that is new to the Multi-Verse stage, the Nordiques were able to squeak out a victory from the fifteenth-ranked Anthoran Ducks in a shootout. The result was a surprise to many, as ASPN had predicted a 3-1 game in favor of the Ducks. Certainly not a team to be underestimated this early in the tournament, where just one loss can make or break a run with just nine games standing between start and finish of the tournament.

by **Free Republics** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 6:23 am

Sporting World

World Cup of Hockey: Republicans beat Bliuji 4-0
By: Tracie Douglas

After a 2 year hiatus, the World Cup of Hockey finally returned. Last time in Equestria, a land filled with cute but not so nice talking ponies, Lisa Edwards's side fell to the Alpine Union in the Round of 16 as the eyes of our Federation were focused on the Republica Olympics. This time around, they are even more determined to prove that Fair Play is the path to victory in the World Cup of Hockey.

The game opened with Bliuji winning the opening faceoff. Their first line left winger ended up passing the puck back to their first line center who launched a slapshot that went into the goal. However, the official disallowed the goal and called a goalkeeper interference penalty on their first line right winger. The Republicans went on the power play and Maria Gonzalez quickly scored a one time goal off a pass from Caitlyn Kiddle. The Free Republics led 1 to 0.

The game would become a defensive struggle with both goalkeepers saving a number of shots. Toward the end of the first period, there was a bit more action when one of the Bliuji defensemen attempted to start a fight with Lei Sung who wasn't having any of it because fighting isn't Fair Play. The official called an attempt to injure penalty, which is a match penalty. That meant the Bliuji defenseman was ejected from the game and Bliuji was penalized for 5 minutes which could not be reduced even if the Republicans scored a goal. The Republicans would take advantage of this with a Rosando Visket goal in the final seconds of the 1st period and a Caitlyn Kiddle goal at the start of the 2nd. Eric Genovese would add a 4th goal in the middle of the 3rd period but the game was decided by the time Bliuji had served the match penalty.

Next up for the Republicans is #1 ranked Neu Engollon. The Ibex are the reigning champions and only utilize 3 lines as opposed to the Republican 5.

Tracie Douglas is our ice hockey correspondent. A graduate of Baseton Republic University, Tracie was a goalie in college while earning a journalism degree. She lives in Baseton.

Before the Bliuji game

Republican coach Lisa Edwards met with the referee Silvester Arius, who was born in Saintland and had been a World Cup of Hockey official for nearly 20 cycles. Arius had relocated to Acedonia before the Sanctii time warps so, like Sister Maria Polus, he had only aged a few years over a timespan in which his countrymen had aged by 2 generations.

Lisa Edwards - In the interest of Fair Play, here's a little gift from me to you.

Silvester Arius - Thank you. I'll make sure to strictly enforce the rules.

Lisa Edwards - That's all I ask for. Far too often in this sport, the rules are only loosely enforced.

Silvester Arius - I agree. We need to clean up this sport. The rampant thuggery in ice hockey is the reason why we're not popular like soccer. Decent people don't want to be associated with our sport.

Lisa Edwards - And honestly, I can't blame them when the WCoH is infamous for numerous murders.

Silvester Arius - Well, that will change if your team can live up to your potential. Good luck out there today and thank you for the cPhone!

Lisa Edwards - You're welcome.

by **Lorenthia** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 6:50 am

Lorenthia National Hockey Team

Modifier: +1.2

Coaching Staff

Coach: Bernt Silje
Assistant Coach: Eoin Leonardsen
Video Assistant: Arias Christensen
Team Doctor: Konrad Rowe
Apparel manager: Dan Oliversen

Roster

#	Pos	Name
1	G	Altis Magnussen
2	D	Felix Lundsen
4	D	August Hummel
23	RW	Stian Jacobsen
19	C	Kasper Holgersen
26	LW	Lasse Albertsen
34	G	Anders Anthonsen
39	D	Arthur Naess
12	D	Hanne Amundsen
43	RW	Tor Wolff
10	C	Alv Lister
9	LW	Axel Spillum
29	G	Christopher Voll
52	D	Herman Simonsen
40	D	Arvid Kinnaid
15	RW	Gregor Christensen
8	C	Jonas Studwick
36	LW	Nils Faulkner
5	D	Amund Mortensen
3	D	Svante Lund
91	RW	Scott Lisk
72	C	Magne Lundsen
26	LW	Otto Lyne

Special Teams

Power Play
Felix Lundsen, Hanne Amundsen; Stian Jacobsen, Alv Lister, Lasse Albertsen

Penalty Kill
Felix Lundsen, Svante Lund; Gregor Christensen, Kasper Holgersen, Nils Faulkner

RP Permissions

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following...
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to My Players: Yes
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes
RP Ejections for My Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: No

Other RP Info

Out of Character note: Lorenthia and Lisander have a strong rivalry. But Lorenthia is a stronger team, so I'll be RPing this one. Eventual references to Lisander will come. Maybe.

by **HUElavia** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 7:40 am

HUElavia records first ever Win in their Hockey World Cup debut!

HUElavia once again makes their own history in the sporting universe, as Los Amarillos record a historical victory against a familiar ally and sporting opponent, BOLGANO.

The game began with HUElavia scoring within 30 seconds, with a 1-2 pass from Garcon-Chevalier to Dominguez-Garcia to make it 0-1. Minutes later, a one-on-one chance by Ovechkin allowed him to make it 0-2. Two wingers from BOLGANO would end up tying the game at 2-2 within a span of 3 minutes and the 1st period ended in the tie.

Second period came, and BOLGANO got the only goal of the period with a lapse in the defense allowing for a center to score a one-on-one over Vasilevskiy. HUElavia had chances including a penalty shot, only for it to be blocked by the goaltender. The 2nd period saw the score at 3-2 in favor of BOLGANO.

The third period came and HUElavia seemed to play with a new light. HUElavia attacked and attacked, seeing shots blocked or go wide until a powerplay was given within the final 7 minutes. Within those 5 minutes, HUElavia scored 5 unanswered goals, with Chevchenko, Companioni, Petit, Giroux, and Lima all netting a goal each. The game ended 3-7, with HUElavians present in the stands cheering and finding a new interest at a sport that had little fanfare back at home.

With the emphatic victory, HUElavia is in 1st Place in Group A, while Banija, who had won 4-0 over Kingdom of the Polar Bear, are in 2nd place. HUElavia still has to face off against Banija, as well as the Hosts Savojarna, where both are overwhelming favorites to dispatch HUElavia, but the team and crowd are here to put their feet into the water (or ice for that matter), and gain valuable experience in a Hockey tournament.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Elejamie** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:13 pm

The TDS Quick and Easy Guide to the 38th World Cup of Hockey

So after much delays and wondering when it'll finally take place, we've finally got another World Cup of Hockey! And even then we had to wait a little while due to an error in the draw, though fortunately it didn't push things too far back. We were also going to have some pre-tournament games but they didn't pan out, not necessarily because no one wanted to play us (in fact there weree a couple of takers) but rather because nowhere seemed to want to host it. Which is a real pity but hopefully we won't be too underprepared going into the tournament.

So the last competition? It took some time to go back through the archives given how long ago it was but I did manage to find everything. And let's just say I remembered how disappointing the group stage was. It started off OK with a 1-0 opening win against Ko-oren before we lost 2-0 to Qasden. We may have thrashed Rezmaeristan 8-2 the day after but a goalless draw against Devonta saw Michael Madgwick step down from head coach and demote himself to assistant coach in disgust. A bold strategy that seemed to have worked as we went on to win all but one of our remaining games (drawing to Qasden, who didn't make it out of the group so nerr) and topping the group. We went on to sweep Mytanija (1-0 and 2-1 after OT) in the Round of 16 and beat fellow WCoH35 finallists Abanhfleft 2-1 (losing the first game 3-1 but beating them 2-1 and 5-4 after OT in the two other games). Unfortunately, we fell to Neu Engollon, with them sweeping us, winning game one 2-1 in the shootout after it ended 2-2 and them beating us normally 5-3 in game two. At least we won the bronze medal series, winning our first game 1-0 and our second 3-2. On paper it looked like a good series but in reality it was actually kind of bad.

Here, we're back in Savojarna where we didn't have the best of times last time we were in the country. We started off well, winning all but one of our games. Including 6-1 (against Somersville), 2-0 (against Devonta) and 4-0 against Hampton Island in our opener. The only non-win? a 4-3 OT loss to Abanhfleft, who went on to top the group thanks to a perfect 5-0 record. We went on to beat Nurkama 5-3 in our Round of 16 game before knocking out our old rivals (who seem a lot less rivally now) Valanora 4-2, which turned out to be foreshadowing for the 8-1 thrashing we'd give them a competition later. Then it started to go downhill. We lost 2-1 in OT to the hosts, who'd go on to come second themselves. And the less said about the bronze medal match, the better. Just hope we don't get a repeat of that if we make it that far.

But let's cast that out of our minds. Let's take a look at who we'll be playing here. And, first up, we've got our bye day. But after that it's Siovanija and Teusland. Last time around, they were drawn into Group 6, along with the Free Republics, Savojarna, Kaboomlandia, Tiiwark and Pachenstein. There, they finished second with a 7-1-2 record, losing 4-3 in their second game against Pachenstein and 5-4 in their second game to Savojarna as well as drawing 1-1 in their penultimate group stage game, against the Free Republics who finished first. Despite having the same record as Savojarna, the Goldhorns were the one who made it out of the group stage thanks to a higher goal difference. They were up against the Equestrian States, who were hosting the competition, and won their first game of the seires 3-2. However, ES won the second game 1-0 and the shootout in game three 2-1 after the match ended 3-3, thus dashing S&T's hopes for a trophy.

Afterwards we've got Lorenthia. From the same sort of area as Lisander and Alice Bay in the rugby, they're the more superior side when it comes to the ice. They too were in the Equestrian States but, unlike Siovanija and Teusland, they didn't do too hot. They finished fifth (out of six) in Group 7, winning only two games (3-2 in their first game against Xanneria and 2-1 in their second match against Competitive Solitaire), drawing twice (3-3 in their first game against CS and 2-2 in their last game, against Xanneria) and losing their six remaining games. Luckily for them, it could've been worse, as the aforementioned Competitive Solitaire finished dead last with three draws, seven losses and ZERO wins. Ouch. So a disaster but not a full on catastrophe.

Then it's into the unknowns. And the first unknown is The Ross Isles. Fortunately, unlike the other unknown, I've got more of an idea of what I'm working with here. They seem to be a fairly defensive side. They seem to have a side that's primarily military-based if "Combined Services" is any indication. University Blues sounds like, well, a university team. I don't have anything informative here to say so hopefully someone from the Ross Isles can fill me in with more information. Either way, expect a win but also them performing quite well in their debut tournament.

And, finally, we've got Silver Beach. The obligatory one-and-done team, the sort of team that shows up for one competition, we have no idea of what they're like or how popular the sport is in their nation but we do definitely know that they end up getting beaten pretty badly and fading to obscurity. In other words, an easy set of three points.

So how do I think we'll do? We'll easily top this group. Siovanija and Teusland might be the only real challenge and I'm not ruling out the Ross Isles getting a shock win. But other than that, I'd imagine our boys will actually wake up and get the puck into the back of the net a few times. A trophy? As much as I'd like it to happen, and indeed we're still one of the favourites, I don't have that much optimism going into this thing. Maybe we'll do better than we did last time we were in Savojarna.

Anything else worth mentioning? No, not really. I mean, I could do the standard "who else is playing today" but everyone else does that so it's kind of lost its lustre. Besides, I got it from the Drop Goal guys and while they themselves don't mind, I just want to keep things a bit original. I will mention that our gracious hosts are in Group A and reigning champions Neu Engollon are in Group F. All of our group stage matches are at the Stadion General Harden, located in Thorsborg, though should we make it any further our boys will probably have to do a lot of travel. And our first game starts in a little while and I want to get this up before I miss it, which is why there aren't any pictures. So good luck, Icy Elephants, and hope we can put our demons behind us.

by **Savojarna** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:54 pm

Savojarna International: Adyatinian riots tarnish opening weekend

Although the Savojar national team had not yet competed in the competition, there were celebrations of ice hockey all over the country as the World Cup of Hockey 38 kicked off on Friday afternoon with the opening games. One of the highlights have been the wild Gyatso-Kai fans in St. Andrei, who have wooed Savojarna's natives with incredibly friendly behaviour in the streets and a keen interest in the nation's culture as well as with a brilliant atmosphere in the Stadion Traktorov, despite some reports that they considered it somewhat quaint due to its rather average size for Savojar standards. As they have probably experienced themselves by now, the small size turns it into an absolute cauldron. Their team rewarded them with an offensive display and a 4-1 victory, which hopefully dampened their disappointment when they discovered that they wouldn't play on an island, but (as the Tourist Office restated in an extra communications briefing this morning) an inland city in the only part of Savojarna located on Rushmori mainland.

On the evening of the first day, St. Andrei saw the first real highlight on the ice as the dark horse Terre Septentrionale faced off against Anthor, a nation with much more pedigree but a recently lacklustre form. The rust was visible on Anthor as the team quickly went down 1-0. A tight and entertaining game finished with a shootout victory to the newcomers, who reaffirmed the idea of a dark horse - but their path to the octofinal will be hard as they face Gyatso-Kai and V&T later on in what conspires to be a true group of death. In Landsmark's afternoon game, another mild surprise came from Austrakia beating the club ice hockey power Taeshan, but with the Taeshani national ice hockey program recently falling into the unknown, the loss was not as unexpected as one may have thought. Elsewhere, such as in the Savojar group, there have been rather clear victories, with Banija looking strong as they shut out the Kingdom of the Polar Bear and HUElavia demonstrating a fearsome offence in their 7-3 victory over newcomers Bolgano. Siovanija and Teusland struggled surprisingly much in their 3-2 over Silver Beach, while Ko-oren announced their ambition with a 5-2 victory in Jarnstad. Finally, Valanora sent a challenge to Mercedini with their victory over North Quadana.

But there have been bad sides as well. After decades of isolation, Adyatin have finally decided to break their bubble and travel northwards to our nation. The team, which had been barred from a clash with Savojarna for political reasons (OOC: declared puppets were banned from being in a group with each other), was drawn into Group C, playing in Pawlograd. There were concerns previously both at hosting the Adyatinians in Russica, due to the moral claim that the nation still holds on all Russican lands, as well as due to the clash with Cassadaigua that would be their opening match. Sticking with the backwards and oppressive views prevalent in Adyatin, there were misogynistic slurs thrown at Cassadagan players and fans, and plenty of slander of Savojarna. Clash seemed inevitable in the afternoon, when more and more Savojars came off work and were populating the streets of Pawlograd. First riots sparked when a bunch of Adyatinian ultras were chanting nationalist and anti-Savojar slogans in a city square, soon to be pinned down by Savojars. The staredown had not come to blows yet, but soon after there had been altercations elsewhere and reports of Adyatinian groups harassing Savojars.

Around one and a half hours before the game, Adyatinian fans had assembled in the centre of Pawlograd, waiting to move out towards the stadium. Ultras of SK Torpedo and leftist dockworkers had assembled in the Parjovski neighbourhood, and were held back by the police as they chanted the International and waving Savojar and Torpedo flags. Eventually, a bottle flew from the Adyatinian crowd towards the Savojars and clashes happened between the groups, with the police trying to keep them apart but struggling to do so. Stones, bottles and according to some reports also fireworks flew between the two camps, with the clash injuring five and seven Savojars and nineteen Adyatinians arrested. In the stadium, news had made it to the neutral fans, who had already been largely predisposed against Adyatin, and cheered heavily for all Cassadagan attacks. Upon the first penalty for the Adyatinians, "FUCK ADYATIN" chants were going around the stadium during the entire powerplay, and the Savojar fans were chanting the International after the Cassadagans scored their first goal. The continuous cheering against their side seemed to spurn on the Adyatinians more, and clashes continued around the stadium into the night. Savojara authorities are considering to ban and stop all attempts at further Adyatinian fan marches, with the tensions in Pawlograd heightening.

Tensions are also heightening in Helfjorde, Savojarna's WCoH headquarters, as the team prepares for the first match of the campaign. Tonight, they will open up with a battle against Banija, the second highest ranked side in the group. Savojarna are lightly favoured against the Banijans, but the way that Banija played the first match chances are they will both make it out of the group stage. The fans will be absolutely on top of their game, and the Stadsstadion experience its first truly magic moment as the Northlights open up their home World Cup. Following that, we'll first meet a Bolgano that is already fighting for its life and a HUElavia that will have to prove their victory over Bolgano was no one-off. Finally, the last game against the Kingdom of the Polar Bear should not pose the biggest risk, although as coach Ragnar Fridtjofsson has pointed out, they hope to not need the points anymore by then.

by **Savojarna** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 2:38 pm

This is your MD 2 cutoff!

Group A (Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion, Sjoedrhavn)
Kingdom of the Polar Bear 3–3 Bolgano (2–1 SO)
Savojarna 2–1 Banija

  Group A (Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion, Sjoedrhavn) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                                        1   1  0    2   1  +1    3
2 HUElavia                                         1   1  0    7   3  +4    3
3 Banija                                           2   1  1    5   2  +3    3
4 Kingdom of the Polar Bear                        2   0  1    3   7  −4    2
5 Bolgano                                          2   0  1    6  10  −4    1

Group B (Norsk Palace, Storevik)
Silver Beach 2–3 Lorenthia
Elejamie 2–7 Siovanija and Teusland

  Group B (Norsk Palace, Storevik) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Siovanija and Teusland             2   2  0   10   4  +6    6
2 Lorenthia                          2   2  0    6   3  +3    6
3 Silver Beach                       2   0  2    4   6  −2    0
4 The Ross Isles                     1   0  1    1   3  −2    0
5 Elejamie                           1   0  1    2   7  −5    0

Group C (Stadion Ivan Petrovich, Pawlograd)
Adyatin 2–1 Lisander
Equestrian States 1–3 Cassadaigua

  Group C (Stadion Ivan Petrovich, Pawlograd) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                                   2   2  0    6   2  +4    6
2 Adyatin                                       2   1  1    3   4  −1    3
3 Lisander                                      2   1  1    5   3  +2    3
4 Equestrian States                             1   0  1    1   3  −2    0
5 The Sarian                                    1   0  1    1   4  −3    0

Group D (Aviatorium, Virkaja)
Gim 3–5 St. Saratoga
Abanhfleft 9–4 Kita-Hinode

  Group D (Aviatorium, Virkaja) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 St. Saratoga                    2   2  0    8   5  +3    6
2 Abanhfleft                      1   1  0    9   4  +5    3
3 Kita-Hinode                     2   1  1    8  10  −2    3
4 Kelssek                         1   0  1    2   3  −1    0
5 Gim                             2   0  2    4   9  −5    0

Group E (Jarnstads Samfunnetsstadion, Jarnstad)
Volinovia 1–3 United States of Devonta
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 3–4 Ko-oren

  Group E (Jarnstads Samfunnetsstadion, Jarnstad) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 United States of Devonta                          2   2  0    8   1  +7    6
2 Ko-oren                                           2   2  0    9   5  +4    6
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                           1   0  1    3   4  −1    0
4 Volinovia                                         2   0  2    3   8  −5    0
5 Greater Cebu                                      1   0  1    0   5  −5    0

Group F (Stadion Karl Marx, Hovikkära)
Bliuji 2–6 People's Republic of Xabia
Neu Engollon 1–0 Free Republics

  Group F (Stadion Karl Marx, Hovikkära) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 People's Republic of Xabia               2   2  0    8   3  +5    6
2 Neu Engollon                             1   1  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Free Republics                           2   1  1    4   1  +3    3
4 Aaaaaa                                   1   0  1    1   2  −1    0
5 Bliuji                                   2   0  2    2  10  −8    0

Group G (Stadion Traktorov, St. Andrei)
Terre Septentrionale 3–3 Gyatso-Kai (3–2 SO)
Vilita and Turori 7–2 Anthor

  Group G (Stadion Traktorov, St. Andrei) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Terre Septentrionale                      2   0  0    5   5   0    4
2 Gyatso-Kai                                2   1  0    7   4  +3    4
3 Vilita and Turori                         1   1  0    7   2  +5    3
4 Anthor                                    2   0  1    4   9  −5    1
5 Tornado Queendom                          1   0  1    1   4  −3    0

Group H (Stadion General Axel Nejdur, Landsmark)
North Quadana 2–1 Austrakia
Mercedini 8–1 Valanora

  Group H (Stadion General Axel Nejdur, Landsmark) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mercedini                                          1   1  0    8   1  +7    3
2 Valanora                                           2   1  1    4   9  −5    3
3 North Quadana                                      2   1  1    3   4  −1    3
4 Austrakia                                          2   1  1    4   3  +1    3
5 Taeshan                                            1   0  1    1   3  −2    0

by **Taeshan** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 6:15 pm

Fresh off an impressive campaign in the Winter Olympics that saw the Purple Knights win a Bronze medal after a less than stellar semi-final loss the Purple Knights returned to the World Cup of Hockey for the first time in half a century. With a roster of players from the second best Ice Hockey Club country in the world it is expected that the team will return to their competitive ways in no time, but will have to take their lumps. Olympic hockey is one thing, World hockey championships are another. The once Gold Medal winning nation will have a strong effort ahead of them if they ever hope to be a competitive team in the World Cup.

Their first matchup was not a strong side. After only losing one match in the Olympics, their first game of the World Cup saw them 3-1 losers to Austrakia. While this would be expected against a ranked side, their follow up loss to North Quadana has the Knights less than excited to take on the rest of the group. With a second day match, and only a lone Jordan Maxwell goal to show for their first nights effort, the Knights will have a long group stage ahead of them. Elsewhere the top ranked team in the group Mercedini obliterated #10 Valanora 8-1, and if that is a sign of things to come for the group the Knights will be headed home from Savojarna in no time at all.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 6:46 pm

An ASPN Production, Brought to you on ASPN.co.gki

ST ANDREI, SAVOJARNA --- Aaron Yitsune

Group 4

MD1 at _URTornado Queendom
MD2 vs _URTerre Septentrionale
MD3 at ₄Vilita & Turori
MD4 vs ₁₅Anthor
MD5 BYE DAY

Regulation Win
OT / SO Win
OT / SO Loss
Regulation Loss

Well... that didn't go the way we thought it was...

With both unranked teams meeting up tonight, many thought that with such a commanding win last night over the Torpedo Queendom, the Ice Bisons were going to bring into tonight's game quite a bit of momentum to carry them into a second win and a solid position atop the Group.

Instead, thanks to the very strange set up of this World Cup, they now sit in second behind double-shootout winning Terre Sept, who for some strange reason are atop the Ice Bisons despite a +5 Goal Differential. Not to mention, the fact that we are only playing a single round in this World Cup also makes our shootout loss tonight a bit more difficult in terms of advancement. With Terre Sept facing off against Torpedo Queendom tomorrow - a game that should easily go in their favor, we need to see ourselves win over Anthor, and then on our bye day, hopefully have instilled some vigor in Anthor to then go and defeat Terre Sept on the final day of the Group Stage.

Though poor Anthor... They took a hard loss today against the Ice Cat Things. Seven goals made it into their net, and the Ducks could only summon up two goals to answer...

Things look good for Terre Sept.

Of course, after the Group, the top two teams in each group will face off in the "Octofinals", with the winner advancing re-seeded into single-eliminaton games for the Quarterfinals on.

Have I mentioned how weird this tournament is compared to World Cups of the past?

Back when our own Madame Tie-Lin Hua was Vice President of The World Cup of Hockey Federation, there had been talks to have a standardised format for every World Cup; a double round robin as how many of the previous World Cups have been. However, it was felt that many host nations would not step forward if they were forced to stick to a single format for hosting the World Cup, and unfortunately, her term in office was reached before she could even suggest the ideas for a standardised World Cup.

But all of that is neither here nor there...

What is here is our Ice Bisons, who lost their second game of the World Cup in a shootout. Though, impressively, we got to see Ming Zhanshi in net for the first time, and what a great debut for the twenty-year-old goaltender out of the Itakawai Lightning. Albeit six centimetres shorter than Bao Lin, Ming makes up for the height difference with his sheer athleticism. When comparing the two goalies, you can see just how different they are.

Ming is very disciplined in his approach to shooters; he squares himself easily to the shot without excess movement so that he stays in position to make rebound saves. He plays a butterfly style, but uses his paddle flat against the ice more than a lot of butterfly goalies if the scoring threat is in close for a bit of extra protection. Thanks to that height, his stick is just long enough where the paddle is reinforced with his pads from post to post, and he keeps his shoulders high to take away the lower 3/4 of the net. His reflexes, having been honed for the last three years in Itakawai, are some of the best in the AHL, so he can take away high blocker and glove shots quicker than expected. Though, Ming does seems to be a bit better with his blocker than his glove; resulting in more shots being sent out to wings than stopped for an offensive-zone face off. His limited-movement style means he's highly successful at stopping what he should stop, and his superior athleticism allows him to stop many of the scoring chances he's not supposed to save. Add to that a highly competitive nature and quite a bite of youthful vigor, and he is rather tough to beat outside of screened shots and deflections when he is one his game... though with youth, comes instability, and some nights, he might let in quite a few shots before he settles into his grove.

Bao is a tall, very athletic, tall, efficient, tall, true-butterfly and positionally sound tall goalie. He is also very tall, something that gives in to his nickname "Big Bao". Oh yeah... Did I mention he is tall? In fact, the only player on the team as tall as him is Hed Torvik, whi is just a centimetre over Bao. Unlike Ming, Bao prefers to catch the puck and put a stop to any momentum that the opposing team is attempting to generate. Sure, that puts the pressure on him when he has a faceoff happening just under nine metres from him every chance he gets. Much like Ming, Bao has incredible reflexes, which often pay off when he has all of those faceoffs to compete with. Though, one of Bao's flaws, as we have seen during Training Camps, is his tendency to stray a bit too far north of the crease for our comfort. Bao often has difficult with the screened plays, and a quick deke or two can throw him off -- it takes time to move such a massive frame --- but despite not starting in net tonight, you can be sure Bao will be on the Ice Bisons for another year or two before Ming, or even our reserve Dang Mun-Hee, are ready to embrace that starting line-up.

So all this talk of goalies as me wondering... Who starts tomorrow against the Ice Cat Things? Do we go with Ol'Reliable in the form of "Big Bao?, or do we continue to experiment with "Mighty Ming" at a time when the entire tournament can be decided by a single bad puck bounce...

I'll leave that up to Head Coach Ishii to decide...

Copyright 2019.3 Avatarian Sports Programming Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.aspn.com.gk/articles/ahl/22654341
© 2019 Avatarian Sports Programming Network

Goal Summary

First Period
GKI- Song (Kil'or) [09:17] [ PP ]

Second Period
GKI- Nacer [Song, Losow] [09:17]
RTS - Lusignan (Beauregard, Klepczynski) [14:01]

Third Period
RTS - Sanschagrin (Lusignan) [06:21]
GKI- Losow (Song) [18:32]
RTS - Niemczynowicz (Villemaire) [19:45] EMPTY NET

Overtime
**No Goals Scored**

Shootout
1st Shot - GKI - Song - GOAL
2nd Shot - RTS - Sanschargrin - GOAL
3rd Shot - GKI - Hed - GOAL
4th Shot - RTS - Lusignan - GOAL
5th Shot - GKI - Cheung - BLOCKED
6th Shot - RTS - Niemcyznowicz - GOAL, GAME WINNER

Penalty Summary

First Period

08:40 --- RTS] --- Slashing, 2-min --- K. Beauregard drawn by Kil'or A.
11:32 --- GKI --- Hooking, 2-min --- Song U. drawn by N. Villamare
16:02 --- GKI --- Hooking, 2-min --- Hed T. drawn by A. Lusignan

Second Period

06:53 --- GKI --- Tripping, 2-min --- Wang T. drawn by S. Krzysztalowicz
14:08 --- TDQ --- Hooking, 2-min --- K. Beauregard drawn by N. Huan
18:56 --- GKI --- Slashing, 2-min --- Kuang D. drawn by F. Lainé

Third Period

*** No Penalties Drawn ***

Goaltending


Team	Name		SA	GA	Saves	SV%	TOI
GKI	Ming Z.		43	06	37	0.860	61:40
RTS	J. Ciccarelli	48	05	42	0.875	62:48

Shots on Goal Summary


TEAM	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	SO	FINAL
GKI	10	14	09	12	03	48
TDQ	12	08	10	10	03	43

Injury Summary

**No Injuries Reported**

Three Stars

First Star: Jennifer Ciccarelli (42 Saves, 48 SA)
Second Star: Czeslaw Niemczynowicz (2 G, 0 A, Game Winning Goal in Shootout)
Third Star: Ming Zhanshi (37 Saves, 43 SA)

◄ ◄ ◄ ◄ NEXT GAME ► ► ► ►

Match Day 03 - 8 November at

Vilita & Turori₄

What is more than likely the most difficult game in the tournament, the Ice Bisons are facing off against the Ice Cat Things from region member Vilita & Turori. With a storied history against one another --- three games in the Round of 16 back in World Cup XXI as well as two games in the Semifinals of World Cup XXVI --- this will be the first time the two teams have faced off in a Group Stage and it should be a very interesting game. With the loss against Terre Septentrionale, the Ice Bisons cannot afford to lose any more games; with the very odd point scheme of the tournament and the incredibly limited number of games, there is not any room for mistakes here in Savojarna.

by **Bliuji** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:00 pm

Bliuji Roster

Starters in Bold

C: Rick Snash
C: Hjalte Sørensen
C: Jan-Erik Korkeaoja
C: Juha Kirvesniemi
RW: Xavier Garvoski
RW: Władysław Walczak
RW: Gottfrid Öberg
RW: Ben Carlsson
LW: Mark Wivnoski
LW: Tom Keufer
LW: Aubrey Lacroix
LW: Austin Mair
RD: Eliot Karlson
RD: Daniel Sladký
RD: Milorad Grubišić
LD: Evan Sunqvist
LD: Jurie Van-Petersburgh
LD: Vörös Bars
G: Josh Gibson
G: Oliver Ratliff
G: Mike Nichols

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:00 pm

Kirsche’s Corner
With Oskar Kirsche and Ronald Mensing

“Good evening Siovanija and Teusland, I’m Ronald Mensing and this is Oskar Kirsche. We’re here at the first intermission live from Storevik, Savojarna, where the Goldhorns lead world number 2 Elejamie 4-0 after an electric first period. What are your thoughts, Oskar?”

“What a period they played, boy, that was some period of hockey! That goal by Tsvetikanov-”

“Tsvetanov.”

“Yeah, Tsvetikov, what a move he made there, all you kids out there, watch what he does. He uses his frame to get past the defender, then fires a shot top corner, goalie had no chance! That’s the way you play the game!”

“You were impressed with Christian Hasselberger’s performance out there, Oskar. Why was that?”

“Hasselberger, he’s a beauty of a player. His first shift out there, he makes a huge hit on Atenar, sets the tempo for the game! He’s just a wrecking force out there, look at him battling for the puck along the boards. You don’t want to see him coming into the corner if you’re a defencemen, I tell ya!”

“And he picked up an assist on Edwin Ranger’s goal that made it 3-0 as well, Oskar.”

“Ranger with the nice little wrister, yeah, that’s his first goal for his country! Always a proud moment there, I’m sure mum and dad back in Sankt Georg, Teusland are watching!”

“You thought David Wagner had a key play when it was still just 1-0 for the Goldhorns.”

“Wagner, yeah, it’s 1-0 here and Eleja-, Ele- Elejamie are on the power play. Nice little set-up there by, uh, Kaspikov-”

“That’s Anatoly Kasputin, Oskar, captain of the Elejamie team,”

“Yeah, Kaspikov, he gets it across to, uh, number 20, and he takes the one-timer, but Wagner’s there. What a save, and that put all the momentum into our penalty kill. They had nothing for ‘em after that, and it keeps it at 1-0!”

“You thought the penalty kill really turned after that moment.”

“Oh for sure, they looked a little shaky there early, Elejamie moved the puck well, it was like that stuff against Silver Beach again, but Wagner makes that save, you can see the mood change, they’re all standing up on the bench, the boys on the ice have a little extra gas, here we go! You kids out there that play goalie, that’s what you need to do on the PK, be your team’s best penalty killer and you’ll go far, that’s a fact!”

“You mention the Silver Beach game, the Goldhorns’ PK was a poor 2 for 4 in that one, both goals against coming with the Goldhorns shorthanded. What do you think went wrong in that one?”

“Well, look, it’s the first game they played and it’s tough to get it going right away, I thought they seemed a little lost out there though. You look at Ivankov out there on Silver Beach’s second goal, he doesn’t know what to do. It was a mess, but they’ve been more disciplined today I tell ya!”

“Disciplined on the penalty kill, yes, but not as much in terms of the penalty box: the Goldhorns took 2 penalties in that period, Schwarzmann for interference and Radulov for tripping. Do you think penalty trouble could be an issue for this team here?”

“Well, we’ll see what these international refs let us get away with, I didn’t think Schwarzmann was a penalty, Radikov though was a pretty open and shut one!”

“You say it’s the refs, Oskar, but every team knows the rules coming in, including the Goldhorns. Isn’t it our responsibility to adopt our game to the different styles of officiating?”

“Come on, of course we’ve got to be a bit more careful, but are you really telling me that call on Schwarzmann was a penalty? You were a ref, you know that! He does that in the Ehrenliga and he gets an ovation, not 2 minutes!”

“This isn’t the Ehrenliga though, Oskar.”

“Oh really, Ron? I didn’t realize! Come on.”

“Well, Oskar, the Goldhorns are up 4-0, do you think they carry that momentum through the last 40 minutes or do you see Elejamie mounting a comeback?”

“We’re playing really well, just keep that up and it’ll be fine! That’s the period we needed to really get going this tournament, I think they’re gonna keep flying from here.”

“Goals from Pfenning, Tsvetanov, Ranger and Gottschall have the Goldhorns up 4-0 over Elejamie at the first intermission. Live from the Norsk Palace, this has been Ronald Mensing and Oskar Kirsche on Kirsche’s Corner.”

Siovanija and Teusland 7-2 Elejamie
Norsk Palace, Storevik, Savojarna

Goals: Tsvetanov (x3), Pfenning (x2), Ranger, Gottschall

Period                  1      2      3
Siovanija & Teusland    4      1      2
Elejamie                0      1      1

Next Game: Siovanija & Teusland vs Lorenthia

by **Kelssek** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:13 am

KELSSEK'S HOME FOR SPORTS

WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY: SAVOJARNA 38
Panic stations for Team Kelssek

Anonymous sources close to the team are speaking of a sense of panic after a 3-2 loss to St. Saratoga in Kelssek’s first match of the World Cup of Hockey threatens to make their stay in Savojarna a very short one. While travelling fans enjoy the charms of the vibrant city of Virkaja, the mood in Kelssek’s locker room is closer to the harsh and grim landscapes of the country.

Kelssek were remarkably flat on their feet at the puck drop and paid for it as they ended up in a hole early. St. Saratoga took the lead after three minutes and added a second 98 seconds later. A shell-shocked Kelssekian team were lucky not to fall further behind as St. Saratoga hit the post twice more in the first period.

While there was a bit more jump at the start of the second period, St. Saratoga settled for killing off the game by disrupting the passing lanes through the neutral zone. Ryan Carter-Jenkins raised hopes by scoring with the man advantage with 3:02 left on the clock, but Kelssek just couldn’t get the job done with the goalie pulled and the disappointment was evident as they trooped off after the horn.

“We just didn’t show up, plain and simple. It’s hard to explain or to put some kind of happy face on that. I’m angry and the guys, we’re all upset with ourselves,” said captain Rhys Hesselboe.

Head coach Dan Kirkland seemed to want to just put the game behind him. “When you start commenting on if the players are well prepared, of course they’re well prepared. We have the same routine and that’s just excuses. I’m just looking for a bounce-back game now.”

While many callers to AntiChamber on NSN Radio were incensed by the result and criticized Kirkland’s comments. NSN analyst Greg Finnain says the next match against Gim is now vital.

“If they want to get anything out of this tournament, this is a must-win game. It would be one that you expect them to win anyway, but anything less in these circumstances is going to be a crisis. With that showing in the Olympics and all the other stuff swirling around this team right now, morale is very fragile. They need to take something.”

Scoring
STS – 3:02 1st
STS – 4:40 1st
KSK - Croft (Freedman, Lauzon) 15:34 2nd
STS – PP 17:17 2nd
KSK – Carter-Jenkins (Lescarbeau) PP 16:58 3rd

by **Savojarna** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:18 am

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojarna kick off with a hard-fought victory

Sjoedrhavn - As the party that had been preparing over the last week as the first hints of the World Cup are coming up, and even more as the first matches went down, it reached its absolute first peak when Savojarna faced Banija last night in Sjoedrhavn. The absolutely packed stadium was anticipating puck drop under loud chants of the International and "HEJA SAVOJARNA" shouting, while the Banijans were received with a warm applause. Savojars had always had a soft spot for the nation that seemed so clearly out of place when they first showed up on the ice, but then got caught in a wave last time they were in Savojarna and carried themselves through to the knockout phase. It then seemed quite fitting that they would square off again here in a match that, if all else went to plan, would decide the winner of the group. The stadium was positively boiling by the time that the puck dropped, and the Savojars immediately went out of the gate fast and strong. Five minutes in, there was already a first great chance for Gulbrandsson - who else? - who just missed wide. On the other side, Banija searched for their game although their attack was occasionally very dangerous, and aided by two unnecessary penalties against Savojarna in the first ten minutes. Shortly before the break, Hoyman got another chance at letting the stadium explode as he caught a hard slapshot from the top of the circle in his glove.

Savojarna's defence went into complete shutdown mode with hard hits, good positioning and not letting the Banijans cross any blue line. Their insane resilience on the offensive blue line was what netted them a goal shortly before half of playtime was over, as the Savojars first forced an icing and then used the desperateness of tired Banijans to wedge themselves in the zone again. This time, the clear was caught at the blue line by Victor Troels, who profited from the fact that the Banijan defenders had by now played for over one and a half minutes straight due to the Savojars keeping the puck in the zone continuously. Troels found himself with lots of space and released a shot that Jaskinen deflected into the goal unstoppably, and sent the Stadsstadion into craziness thanks to the lead for the hosts. Savojarna almost added one more on the powerplay, but failed to convert as the Banijan goalkeeper managed to block a rebound with his pad and the goal was dislodged before Gränlund could score the second goal. Nevertheless, they were flying high when Banija managed to score on a counter. A two on one found its way past Hoyman, who first managed to block the puck but could not defend the rebound.

With the 1-1 and a strong performance at the break, hopes were still high going into the final period, and the game got more and more on edge, which manifested in more altercations and more penalties to follow. Twice, two players aside had to leave, and the Savojars gained a large benefit from the space on the ice as their speed was suddenly becoming a lot more powerful. It was in the second of these situations that Savojarna scored their second and decisive goal, when the charge was initiated by Ingerman's long pass down the ice to Gulbrandsson. Facing the last Banijan defender, the Savojar noticed that Falborg had caught up with him and was crossing the blue line, and played a magnificent backpass into the high slot. Falborg's direct slapshot hit right into the top corner above the stick hand of Banija's keeper, setting the Savojars ahead again. Banija mounted a formidable final offence, but failed to convert another one thanks to Hoyman stopping nine shots in the final five minutes, and the Savojars doing a great job of keeping the slot clear.

In the end, Ragnarsson left the arena fast and without words as customary, but journalists couldn't help but notice the smile on the face of Savojarna's coach. The players matched the feeling, with captain Erik Kristiansen saying that "the team displayed good spirit today, and this is how we will need to play in the future again. It's important now to not underestimate our next opponents just because they are not ranked as highly, but they all can play. I think HUElavia have really proven that, and it's not gonna get easier. Even if they are, the octofinals will wait and we don't wanna hit Neu Engollon right out of the gate", he said. Gulbrandsson echoed the feeling: "It's important to be cautious. Look at what happened to some of the other teams who may have taken the foot off the pedal a bit, Elejamie or the Equestrian States. Sure, HUElavia are no Cassadaigua, but still - things can happen. When you're not cautious, you'll get injured or you'll give up stupid goals, penalties, and all that. You can't really say that we're gonna crush them, so we'll see what happens". Deciding goal scorer Soren Falborg agreed, and lauded the Savojar audience, saying: "We must give it our all for those fans, seriously. They're insane. I have never heard such an extreme stadium in an international game".

Things are hopefully continuing the same for Savojarna as they face off against HUElavia. But other teams hope for a change, as Elejamie got completely ripped apart on the scoreboard, losing 7-2 to Siovanija and Teusland. Likewise, record champions Valanora lost 8-1 to Mercedini in the clash of favourites in group H. But neither have true reason for worry yet, as they might still be able to win three games against opponents considered less favoured and making it out of their group. True trouble, however, has befallen Anthor in the "Death Group" G. After their shootout loss to Terre Septentrionale, they have lost yet another game to Vilita and Turori - 7-2. The Ducks are not yet eliminated, but require three victories and probably some help from the other teams in their group. As Terre Septentrionale won their second shootout against Gyatso-Kai, this group is shaping up to be a true bloodbath as tonight, Gyatso-Kai will meet their yet biggest test in the Ice Cat Thinga of V&T, and it is up to the group leaders from Terre Septentrionale to put the final nail in the coffin of Anthor's ambition.

by **Terre Septentrionale** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:25 pm

Terre Septentrionale beat Gyatso-Kai

St. Andrei, Savojarna - Terre Septentrionale has been the most lucky team so far in this World Cup of Hockey. After beating Anthor, ranked 15th, in shoutouts on matchday 1, the Nordiques beat Gyatso-Kai, again in shoutout. While both teams are unranked, an anonymous Septentrional scout revealed to La Tribune before the game started that Gyatso-Kai looked better on paper and had good chemistry. With 11:20 minutes remaining in the 1st period, KIL'OR Alecyc slashes Kévin Beauregard. Beauregard retaliates by slashing him back and the referree only penalizes Beauregard who goes to the penalty box for 2 minutes. About one minute later, Stanislaw Wojciechowski has the puck in his own zone and he tries to pass to Frédérique Lainé but it's intercepted by KIL'OR Alecyc who passes to SONG Unataq who shoots and he scores. 1-0 Ice Bisons after one period.

Midway in the 2nd period, Gyatso-Kai takes a 2-0 lead when Ero'ki NACER's slap shot goes into the top corner of the net. With exactly 6 minutes remaining in the period, WANG Torsti shoots on the net, Jennifer Ciccarelli makes the save with her glove and gives the puck to Krzysztof Klepczynski who passed to Kévin Beauregard in his own zone. Beauregard passed to Antoine Lusignan who'se on a breakaway. Lusignan skates and he shoots. The puck goes past BAO Lin and Gyatso-Kai's lead is cut to 2-1.

With 13:39 remaining in the 3rd period, Pierre Sanschagrin is on a breakaway with Antoine Lusignan. Sanschagrin passes the puck to Lusignan who fakes to shoot and he passes back to Sanschagrin who puts the puck past BAO Lin and the game is tied at 2-2! The Ice Bisons takes the lead with less than two minutes remaining when Ki'an LOSOW's shot passes between Ciccarelli's leg and the score is 3-2 Gyatso-Kai. Shortly after this goal, coach Georges Grondin pulled his goalie for an extra attacker. With 15 seconds remaining, Czeslaw Niemczynowicz wins the face off in the offensive zone, Nico Villemaire gets the puck and shoots, BAO Lin makes the save but he doesn't control the puck. Niemczynowicz takes it and he shoots and he scores, the game is tied at 3-3!

We saw very exciting play during the overtime but no one scored and we go to shoutouts. SONG Unataq is shooting first, he skates and he puts the puck past Ciccarelli. Pierre Sanschagrin is the next to come. He skates and he tries the wrist shot. The puck goes into the net, it's a goal! HED Torvik is skating and he also uses the wrist shot and he scores. Antoine Lusignan advances, he tries the five hole and he scores! The shoutout is now tied at 2-2 with one skater to go. CHEUNG Sepi skates and he tries to put the puck past Ciccarelli but she makes the save. Now if the Nordiques scores, it's over but if they fail, the shoutout keeps going on for at least another round. Czeslaw Niemczynowicz skates and he tries to put the puck past BAO Lin. He scores, the game is over and the Reprezentacja Nordycki won 3–3 (3–2 SO)!

BOXSCORE

1st period
11:43 - SONG Unataq assisted by KIL'OR Alecyc (pp)

2nd period
11:43 - Ero'ki NACER assisted by SONG Unataq and Ki'an LOSOW
5:59 - Antoine Lusignan assisted by Kévin Beauregard and Krzysztof Klepczynski

3rd period
13:39 - Pierre Sanschagrin assisted by Antoine Lusignan
1:28 - Ki'an LOSOW assisted by SONG Unataq
0:15 - Czeslaw Niemczynowicz assisted by Nico Villemaire

Overtime
No score

Shoutout
1st Shot - Song Unataq - GOAL
2nd Shot - Pierre Sanschargrin - GOAL
3rd Shot - Hed Torvik - GOAL
4th Shot - Antoine Lusignan - GOAL
5th Shot - Cheung Sepi - BLOCKED
6th Shot - Czeslaw Niemcyznowicz - GOAL, GAME WINNER

1st place in group G

With this shoutout win against Gyatso-Kai, Terre Septentrionale is in 1st place in group G with no win in regular time and two wins in shoutouts. Gyatso-Kai is tied with 4 points with a win in regular time and a loss in shoutouts. Vilita and Turori is third with a win for three points in just one game. On matchday 3, the Northmen with play against Tornado Queendom, who'se probably gonna finish in last place, while the Ice Bisons and the Ice Cat Things will face each other. It's a very interesting battle between the top four teams for the two playoffs spots. Surprisingly, Anthor, who has a bye on matchday 3, seem to be out of contention, unless they beat both Gyatso-Kai and Tornado Queendom, and they has to rely on us losing against Tornado Queendom.

Germain Coutu, La tribune Septentrionnale

by **Savojarna** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:45 pm

This is your MD 3 cutoff!

Group A (Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion, Sjoedrhavn)
Bolgano 1–4 Savojarna
HUElavia 6–2 Kingdom of the Polar Bear

  Group A (Sjoedrhavns Stadsstadion, Sjoedrhavn) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 HUElavia                                         2   2  0   13   5  +8    6
2 Savojarna                                        2   2  0    6   2  +4    6
3 Banija                                           2   1  1    5   2  +3    3
4 Kingdom of the Polar Bear                        3   0  2    5  13  −8    2
5 Bolgano                                          3   0  2    7  14  −7    1

Group B (Norsk Palace, Storevik)
Lorenthia 1–1 Elejamie (2–1 SO)
The Ross Isles 0–1 Silver Beach

  Group B (Norsk Palace, Storevik) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Lorenthia                          3   2  0    7   4  +3    8
2 Siovanija and Teusland             2   2  0   10   4  +6    6
3 Silver Beach                       3   1  2    5   6  −1    3
4 Elejamie                           2   0  1    3   8  −5    1
5 The Ross Isles                     2   0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group C (Stadion Ivan Petrovich, Pawlograd)
Lisander 0–3 Equestrian States
The Sarian 1–3 Adyatin

  Group C (Stadion Ivan Petrovich, Pawlograd) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                                   2   2  0    6   2  +4    6
2 Adyatin                                       3   2  1    6   5  +1    6
3 Equestrian States                             2   1  1    4   3  +1    3
4 Lisander                                      3   1  2    5   6  −1    3
5 The Sarian                                    2   0  2    2   7  −5    0

Group D (Aviatorium, Virkaja)
St. Saratoga 1–4 Abanhfleft
Kelssek 4–2 Gim

  Group D (Aviatorium, Virkaja) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                      2   2  0   13   5  +8    6
2 St. Saratoga                    3   2  1    9   9   0    6
3 Kelssek                         2   1  1    6   5  +1    3
4 Kita-Hinode                     2   1  1    8  10  −2    3
5 Gim                             3   0  3    6  13  −7    0

Group E (Jarnstads Samfunnetsstadion, Jarnstad)
United States of Devonta 0–1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Greater Cebu 1–2 Volinovia

  Group E (Jarnstads Samfunnetsstadion, Jarnstad) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 United States of Devonta                          3   2  1    8   2  +6    6
2 Ko-oren                                           2   2  0    9   5  +4    6
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                           2   1  1    4   4   0    3
4 Volinovia                                         3   1  2    5   9  −4    3
5 Greater Cebu                                      2   0  2    1   7  −6    0

Group F (Stadion Karl Marx, Hovikkära)
People's Republic of Xabia 0–3 Neu Engollon
Aaaaaa 1–4 Bliuji

  Group F (Stadion Karl Marx, Hovikkära) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Neu Engollon                             2   2  0    4   0  +4    6
2 People's Republic of Xabia               3   2  1    8   6  +2    6
3 Free Republics                           2   1  1    4   1  +3    3
4 Bliuji                                   3   1  2    6  11  −5    3
5 Aaaaaa                                   2   0  2    2   6  −4    0

Group G (Stadion Traktorov, St. Andrei)
Gyatso-Kai 3–4 Vilita and Turori
Tornado Queendom 1–7 Terre Septentrionale

  Group G (Stadion Traktorov, St. Andrei) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Terre Septentrionale                      3   1  0   12   6  +6    7
2 Vilita and Turori                         2   2  0   11   5  +6    6
3 Gyatso-Kai                                3   1  1   10   8  +2    4
4 Anthor                                    2   0  1    4   9  −5    1
5 Tornado Queendom                          2   0  2    2  11  −9    0

Group H (Stadion General Axel Nejdur, Landsmark)
Austrakia 3–3 Mercedini (3–4 OT)
Taeshan 8–2 North Quadana

  Group H (Stadion General Axel Nejdur, Landsmark) Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mercedini                                          2   2  0   12   4  +8    5
2 Austrakia                                          3   1  2    7   7   0    4
3 Taeshan                                            2   1  1    9   5  +4    3
4 Valanora                                           2   1  1    4   9  −5    3
5 North Quadana                                      3   1  2    5  12  −7    3

by **Taeshan** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:20 pm

An incredible turnaround after an opening night 3-1 loss for the Purple Knights against Austrakia sees them win matchday 3 against North Quadana 8-2. The day two bye seems to have had an incredible effect on the roster as they dominated their opponents. It seemed an evenly matched affair after the first period with the score knotted 1-1 with Gordon Quarant's early goal cancelled out by a North Quadana tying goal, but the 2nd and third period were quite different affairs.

The second saw a four goal outburst from the Knights as Quarant would assist Mathew Gold and make it 2-1. But that was followed by a double from Emmit LaRue made it 4-1 for the Knights headed into the second intermission. An early North Quadana goal in the third seemed to put the game back in the balance, but the next four goals would go the Knights way. A Jordan Maxwell goal was followed by a third period hat trick from Captain Jackson Gagne. The effort was their for the Knights, and with the next match #3 in the world Mercedini, followed by #10 Valanora, this could be the high water mark of the Knights return to the World Cup. Anything beyond what they have will be gravy.

by **Kita-Hinode** » Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:53 pm

HOCKEY
Misei's hockey woes
Written by Yuri Izakawa, Sunrise Club's Digest hockey specialist.

MISEI CITY - Considered the best amateur ice hockey team of the province of Misei, the Concordes of Misei City was named after the Misei International Airport and played their games out of the Misei Municipal Ice Rink. The team had recently sent their papers to take part in the Hinodejin Hockey Championship and were actually gearing up for their debut this upcoming season but their plans were soon thrown into jeopardy when a rather short war broke out that totalled parts of the city of Misei. Sadly, that also included the city's major ice rink, where the Concordes played at.

"It's disheartening, to be honest," said team captain Yuji Shimawara, who had been banking on a hockey career to move out of his office job. "We at least avoided the worst possible outcome, which makes it a bit petty coming from us to complain about it, but we suffered major setbacks which I know we can curve around but it's really bad to have to deal with such an issue at our very first year as professionals." The Misei Municipal Ice Rink was destroyed from the impact that also destroyed the original Interdimensional Gateway, meaning that the building, that had been constructed a mere two years ago, was now on ruins.

Despite this, the Misei team remains signed up for the next Hinodejin Hockey Championship, where they're expected to play at the Imperial Conference. It's unknown if the team will keep their name of Concordes, with some believing that keeping the name in light of the surprise attack that kickstarted the war early would be in poor taste. Rumour has it that the team will probably name themselves the Misei Chiefs, based after a certain cult movie.

by **Gyatso-kai** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 12:50 am

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:28 am

TEAM CASSADAIGUA- World Cup of Hockey 38

Coach- Katherine Gardner, 61
Assistant Coach- Rachel Belmont, 55

(Line and defensive pairings listed below are the typical pairings, but things can and will be mixed up from time to time)

Line 1:
LW- #11- Brianna McKee, 29 (5'11", 192)- Sniper
C- #21- Kelsey Cronin, 31 (6'0" 199) (Captain)- Playmaker, more assists then goals.
RW- #14- Maddie McCarthy, (6'5", 228) 29- Power forward; mildly physical

Line 2:
LW- #9- Chelsea Donato, 32- (6'1", 213) (Alternate captain)- Sniper and hard hitter, somewhat willing fighter
C- #15- Sierra Herschel, 30- (5'9", 184)- Playmaker
RW- #16- Cassie Browning, 27- (6'1", 203)- Sniper

Line 3:
LW- #17- Meaghan Albritton, 28 (6'6", 228)- Power forward
C- #19- Sophie Brooks, 33 (6'5", 221)- Defensive forward
RW- #10- Mikayla Conrad, 27 (6'3", 215)- Defensive forward, hard and mean hitter, willing fighter

Line 4:
LW- #20- Abby Dayton, 25 (5'10", 189)- Young sniper
C- #25- Danielle Cunningham, 26 (5'9", 179)- Young playmaker
RW- #22- Jessica Zabinsky, 28 (6'4", 223)- Physical, willing fighter, especially if you take liberties with her smaller linemates

Defensive Pairing 1:
LD- #5- Shannon Fowler, 29 (6'0", 205) (A)- Completely offensive minded, though smart in her own end
RD- #4- Stacie Nolan, 30 (6'1", 218)- Solid in both ends

Defensive Pairing 2:
LD- #7- Courtney Burnett, 27 (5'11", 198)- Moderately offensive defenseman
RD- #2- Lexi Hamlin, 29 (5'11", 206)- Defensive defenseman, fearless hitter

Defensive Pairing 3:
LD- #27- Mallory Healy, 27 (6'2", 207)- Up and coming all around defensemen; first time starting.
RD- #8- Kayla Ritchie, 31(6'4", 230), Two-way player, hard and mean hitter, willing fighter

Goalies:
Starter- #31- Allison Murphy, 32 (6'2", 205)- Stand up style
Backup- #1- Heather Stanford, 28 (6'3", 211)- Hybrid

PP Unit 1: McKee-Cronin-McCarthy; Fowler-Nolan
PP Unit 2: Donato-Herschel-Browning; Burnett-Hamlin
PK Unit 1: Brooks-McKee; Burnett-Hamlin
PK Unit 2: Herschel-McCarthy; Fowler-Ritchie

Also traveling with team (scratched unless otherwise noted)
G- #30- Anna Howell, 28 (6'1", 211)- Butterfly style
D- #24- Cortnie Simmons, 27 (5'10", 197)
D- #6- Jennifer Everson, 24 (6'4", 222)
D- #28- Krystina Marion, 25 (6'3", 219)
D- #32- Kelsie Haller, 23 (5'10", 181)
F- #12- Meghann Carmello, 22 (5'8", 176)
F- #13- Cassidy Conti, 22 (5'9", 183)
F- #18- Madison Prutton, 27 (5'9", 195)
F- #23- Holly Linnehan, 29 (6'3", 224)
F- #26- Lauren Olmsted, 35 (6'6", 240)
F- #29- Tara Shattuck, 34 (6'2", 219)

Style Mod: +1

RP Permissions:
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries to My Players: Yes, but only say they are hurt. I will determine the severity.
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes
RP Ejections for My Players: Yes, on a basis of no more then one more then you eject from your own
Godmod Other Events: Maybe. TG your idea for approval first.

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:40 am

Despite 2-0 Start, Team Not Impressive,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The Fillies have begun the 38th World Cup of Hockey with a pair of wins, but on their bye day, there seemed to be a little more criticism going around then one would think. Defensemen Lexi Hamlin, a 29-year old veteran making her third appearance in the tournament, posted on Spacebook that, "We still have not reached our full potential in this tournament." Surprising, given that the team is coming off a 3-1 over the Equestrian States. Fellow defensemen, Courtney Burnett, who she is often paired with replied to the post saying, "What Lexi means is that we are not just going to rest on our laurels after these two games. There is still plenty more to do out there, plenty of more games out there to win, and plenty o more damage to do in this tournament." Hamlin and Burnett are each a +3 thus far in the early stages, and have not been on the ice for either of the two goals that have been conceded against them.

So, I was sitting back and trying to figure out why made Hamlin and Burnett a little more critical then they should be. The Fillies won each of their games by identical 3-1 scores, and the goal scoring has been spread around pretty well. Against the Equestrian States, shots on goal were identical at 31, so I wondered if they were just hoping to get those figures down. I asked the head coach, Katherine Gardner about the critique and she says it stems from her, "All Lexi is doing is saying that we can be improving. We have allowed 30 and 31 shots on goal in each of the two games, and we'd like to get those numbers down into the mid 20's. Quality scoring opportunities allowed have been normal, so I am happy with that, and it shows that we are playing a good all around game, but if we stop thinking we can improve, then we are going to start seeing opponents make adjustments and thereby have us seeing less success. To this point, all is well. But this isn't baseball where we came into the tournament as the #1 ranked team. We are #22 here, so there is a lot of work we need to be doing every day, and that is imperative to be happening on all levels."

by **HUElavia** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 7:50 am

HUElavia thrashes Polar Bears, takes a commanding lead in Group A

Los Amarillos are off to a phenomenal start, as the first period saw HUElavia score within 30 seconds once again, thanks to Giroux skating past 3 players to score the opening goal. In the 5th minute, HUElavia took a 2-0 lead, when Pavluchenko took a shot from a corner to blast it past the goalie. The Polar Bears slid one past Vasilevskiy within the final few seconds of the 1st Period, ending it at 2-1.

The Second Period came, and the Polar Bears gave a vicious shot that blasted past Vasilevskiy saw the scoreline read at 2-2. HUElavia once again took shots and attempted to score, but the period ended at 2-2.

The Third Period was the strongest of them all for HUElavia, where in the 6th minute saw Ben Youseff blast a shot from the blue line to make it 3-2, causing the HUElavian fans to cheer and roar loudly enough that the arena shook. Two minutes later, Dominguez-Garcia took the puck and went on a one-on-one chance, blasting it past the goalie to make it 4-2. The Polar Bears tried and tried, and towards the end, they pulled the Goalie to play with 6 skaters on the ice, only for it to backfire horribly. A dispossession by Kariya allowed him to shoot from the other side of the rink, having the shot slide into the net, making it 5-2. Moments later, once again with an empty net, the Polar Bears tried to get a goal, only for Carvalho to get the puck and skate his way to put it into the net in a cheeky move, effectively ending the game at 6-2.

With the victory, HUElavia is jointly the highest scoring team in the tournament with 13 goals (along with Abanhfleft) and currently lead Group A with 6 points. They will play against the Host Nation, Savojarna for their 3rd game, where Los Amarillos are not favorites, but they believe they can put up a fight against the hosts. Should HUElavia lose, it will be a win-or-go-home game versus Banija, but a win against Savojarna will effectively guarantee HUElavia in the knockout rounds.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Austrakia** » Sat Nov 09, 2019 8:28 am

Opinion Page

English Edition * 9 Nov 2019

When one looks at Austrakian relations with nations outside of Teremara, usually in the context of International sport, it is invariably weighted with their complex relations with Neu Engollon.

A once tiny landlocked confederation while the Bundesrepublik was still an empire, Neu Engollon grew by absorbing territory of their neighbors and eventually gaining a coast. To be fair, they were provoked by the 1797 invasion of Marshal Bonaparte and fighting for their very survival at the hands of the Gaulic Empire and its Roman city-state allies. The territory was not repatriated after the fall of the Gaulic Empire with the toppling of Emperor Ney and was integrated into the Confederacy as new cantons.

Prior to that, Austrak nobles and barons extended their political reach across the eastern Neu Engollian cantons, putting down rebellions with Austrak and proxy Teutonic Neu Engollian troops. The Gauls were doing the same in the western cantons, but that doesn't seem to be as critical an issue today for the Confederacy as what happened in the east.
In any case, that was many centuries ago. While there have been recent alarming border skirmishes both in the air and on the ground, nothing still affects the shared psyche of our two nations more than the Border War of 1920.

Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of civilians perished during that cataclysmic year. It was only the desperate measures of politicians on both sides that reined in the madness. The administration in Geneva enacted the extreme measure of executing General von Kommer, the top commander of the northeastern military sector, along with a handful of top officers; for continuing the war for their own traitorous purposes and locking up officials from Geneva who attempted to intervene. That’s an oft omitted fact in Neu Engollian history books for obvious reasons.
To say that such bloodshed was the result of one general, however the Confederacy spins it these days, is very manipulated hindsight and disingenuous. One general alone cannot run a whole battlefront. Neu Engollon prosecuted a full blown invasion of Austrak territory because of deep seated hatred of us, their eastern neighbors. Their inability to forgive, their xenophobia, and their lust for vengeance that smoldered for
500 years drove them to lay waste to our towns, our farms and our military.

Xenophobia might not even be apt to describe it as much as kindred hatred for an estranged cousin. Much as many on both sides are loathe to admit, there’s not much separating us from Northern Neu Engollians. We are derived from the same Teutonic tribes. To this day, many families are intermarried with relatives on both sides of the Thal Fluss. Really, all the Western Madurinite people can be traced back to the same nomadic tribes if we go back far enough, so the internecine warfare is a bit silly when put into that bigger context.

During some scattered years of better relations, their President and our Chancellor were laying wreaths on the graves of our military dead from the 1920 War. Up until 3 years ago, The Thal Peace ceremony was held on the St. Alois Bridge to mark the cessation of hostility. Even though in reality, peace has not fully been realized between our nations. These have all gone by the wayside as tensions have heightened. We are treated as villains and we didn’t even start that war!

The modern Confederacy, despite the farce of declared peace, has done everything in their bitterness to suppress the Bundesrepublik in its relations with the outside region, and the greater world. Not just in influencing international athletic organizations in attempt to block our participation in tournaments, but from dissuading others from making trade deals with us, enforcing embargoes on our imported goods across Madurin, but also in politically ostracizing us from any regional alliances. We are surrounded by the Western Madurin Treaty Alliance, yet we are barred from membership in it when we could be a solid contributing member. In every way possible, the Confederacy seeks to both figuratively and literally starve the Austrak people.

The question is, have current and recent past administrations of the Bundesrepublik done enough to combat these efforts and fight for our rights to exist as a fellow nation on this globe?
The answer to that will come in my next week’s article. I will also address the current tensions and the agonizing case of Walther Liebsgott, the persecuted Austrak official being held without trial by the Confederacy for trumped up crimes.

~ Hans Pichler

Hans is a frequent contributor to the Feld und Torheit and other publications, printed and online, as well as an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Vilgenna. He has won numerous awards for his literary work, including his latest book, The Struggle of Walther[i].

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