World Cup of Hockey 39 - Everything thread

by **Free Republics** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:37 am

Sporting World

World Cup of Hockey 39 Preview: Republicans are Somehow Ranked #10
By: Tracie Douglas

The World Cup of Hockey has returned and about the only thing anybody's talking about is how the Republican National Team is somehow ranked 10th despite no quarterfinal appearances in their history. Coming off of back to back Round of 16 exits, the Republicans have once again been drawn into the same group with defending champions and #1 ranked Neu Engollon. Lisa Edwards's team, known around the multiverse for their patented Fair Play and their unimpeachable integrity, are somehow expected to become something more than a mediocre team this year. Joining them in this group will be 22nd ranked Anthor, a team that is just 3 cycles removed from being champions, albeit on their home ice, but which has slipped significantly in the ranks after missing the tournament in Equestria 3 years ago and doing poorly last year in Savojarna. En route to that victory, they defeated Neu Engollon 7 to 3 in a semi-final that was refereed by Republican officials so there's definitely plenty of history in the Republican group this year.

There are 2 other teams in this group. Gergary returns after a 2 tournament hiatus. Meanwhile, Tjun-ia might actually be considered a threat, in a different group. In this group, they might upset somebody and cost them a spot in the Round of 16 but they're probably not going to be contending for anything.

There's actually very little to talk about. Lisa Edwards has decided to keep the same team together for another World Cup of Hockey. Her roster decisions are as boring as her team's style of play. While hockey is usually a rough game known for violent play, fighting and the like, the Republican team is as boring as it gets. They just skate around, shoot pucks and play clean and fair. Back in the day, the World Cup of Hockey was known for teams like Quebec that would get into fights at the drop of a hat and teams like Gregoryisgodistan which were more interested in murdering their opponents than winning hockey games (and yet they won lots of hockey games anyway!). Even as somebody who played hockey in college and has been a lifelong fan of this weird sport, I find it hard to get excited about this tournament when everybody knows that the Republicans will just get knocked out in the Round of 16 again. But if you want to watch, the opening Republican match will be against Gergary.

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.

Days ago, Abelino Greece had been the presumptive nominee of the Radical Alliance and the clear choice of the Republican establishment to battle Valentin Svensson of Common Good and Nova Hellstrom-Hancock of Golden Age. The 2 upstart populist parties still maintained a tenuous coalition in the Assembly. That hadn't changed but Abelino was now laying in a hospital bed. He had been at the World Bowl Championship Game in Republica, watching the Republicans win their first World Bowl title. Then, a bullet that had been intended for Consul Scarlett Nicholls instead hit him instead. While he remained alive, he was seriously injured and in no condition to campaign.

Suddenly, what had looked like a clear 3 way election was now wide open. The business community in the Free Republics was deeply concerned about Svensson and Hellstrom-Hancock's populism. None were more concerned than Mark Gloomberg, owner of Gloomberg News. Mr. Gloomberg was one of the wealthiest men in the Free Republics and he now saw an opportunity to step into the race as an independent candidate. Gloomberg made his announcement in a television ad before the World Cup of Hockey match between the Free Republics and Gergary which would be carpet bombed all over Republican television over the coming days:

Gloomberg - My fellow Republicans, I am Mark Gloomberg and I am running for consul. After I was laid off from my middle management job at Bank of Republica, I started a small business called Gloomberg and became a self-made billionaire. Now, I am asking for your vote in this year's Consul election so that I can do the same thing for our Federation's government. Like many of you around the Federation, the recent assassination attempt against Consul Nicholls and shooting of President Greece deeply saddened me. I believe that it is time to ask whether or not we should be allowing every lunatic in the country to not only own guns but also carry them into large public gatherings such as sports events at our stadiums.

Images of the shooting of Abelino Greece played.

Gloomberg - If the World Bowl had been held in another country, the assassin would almost certainly not have been allowed to carry a gun into the stadium. I'm not saying we should take your guns away. What I'm saying is that we should ask people to leave their guns at home so that the rest of us can walk the streets and watch sports without getting shot. Now, I'm also not suggesting that we ban the police or private security from carrying guns. If you're working as a bodyguard or a law enforcement officer, you should have all the equipment you need to keep our people safe. To that end, I have donated 500 million thalers of my fortune to a group called Safer Republica which will campaign for gun safety efforts. But don't just take my word for it. Here's Lisa Edwards, coach of the Republican National Ice Hockey Team, talking about why I'm the right man to be your next consul:

Lisa Edwards - I've known Mr. Gloomberg for many years. My husband Sam has long worked for Gloomberg and Mr. Gloomberg has always done right by him. I'm especially proud of Mr. Gloomberg's support for gun safety. Just as we need Fair Play (TM) in ice hockey, we need Gun Safety in our society and Mark Gloomberg is the man who can make that happen. That is why I'm endorsing him for Consul of the Free Republics.

by **Bolgano** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 2:20 pm

Bolgano Ice Hockey-WCoH 39 Roster

Goalkepers
Mathew Calsem - Dartsak Hockey Club - 22 Years old
Donald McQueen - Fedek Hockey Club - 21 Years old
Dennis Robert - Rytuk Hockey Club - 30 Years old

Defenders
Tarren Viskolov - Dartsak Hockey Club - 24 Years old
Erd Friutin - Marele Islands Hockey Club - 19 Years old
Samuel Leonardo Gutierrez - Bolgano Hockey Club - 18 Years old
Kevin Ronald - Fedek Hockey Club - 23 Years old
Letionon Sigirulis - Dartsak Hockey Club - 27 Years old

Attackers
Alex West - Dartsak Hockey Club - 20 Years old
Dries Giroux - Bolgano Hockey Club - 25 Years old
Marselo Soco - Rytuk Hockey Club - 31 Years old
Louis Kelver - Severak Hockey Club - 24 Years old
Ciro Vetteru - Bolgano Hockey Club - 18 Years old

In board initial players
Coach: Francisco Kolsman
Captain: Alex West
Style: -3
Formation: 1-3-2

RP Permissions: Everything but kill a player, NO!

by **-Anthor-** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:39 pm

Anthoran National Hockey Team
Nickname: Anthoran Ducks
Head Coach: Lucius Horn
Assistant Coach: Gabe Wilmer

Style Modifier: +3

Annual Introduction:

Falls from grace are rarely ever kind, and the Ducks has been especially cruel - titular holders just 3 tournaments ago, the Ducks have turned in either an total absence or abysmal performance ever since then. Moreover, international formatting has returned to the shorter 4-game style, much to head coach Lucius Horn's dismay as he has made it well known he prefers the longer style that was exhibited by Anthor when it hosted the 35th, though many have argued that interest in the Cup waned towards the end. Regardless, the Ducks are back again for the 39th edition, finding themselves with a hard fight ahead as they are placed in the group with the defending champions in Neu Engollen, as well as the 10th ranked Free Republicans. Horn has come out and said the Ducks main goal is the return to the Top 10 in international rankings, but with such a short format this go around, advancement to the playoff stage is absolutely necessary.

In order to achieve this and in light of recent failures, Horn has made sweeping changes to the team. Long time assistant coach Gabe Wilmer, who has been with the team since they debuted in WCOH 29 has been terminated from his post in the off-season, and Horn has brought on Justin Ryan, the 45 year old who has spent the last three seasons as the head coach for the Mer Militia; Ryan and Horn both stated Ryan will retain his domestic role, much to the enjoyment of Militiamen everywhere, while he participates with the Ducks on the international stage, it is believed Horn wished to use his tenacity and skills on the defensive side of the ice to help shore up the Duck's oft-repeated propensity for late defensive errors in this campaign. Furthermore, a number of young players have been brought onto the team for the first time, holding the banner so to speak for them is Joel Brenton, the Rangers leading young defender, as well as Micah Mallinson who is just the latest in a series of powerful wingers in Kerveguen. It's hoped this infusion of youth will help seed the beginnings of a strong foundation as a new generation takes over, despite still being captained and led by none other then Graham Robertson himself, who has let no whispers of retirement slip despite being in the final year of his domestic contract, and turning 38 this season.

Roster:

Goaltenders:

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
1	Lester Brandon		        31	G(S) 	        Penshurst Earls
2	Petre Beran			23	G 		Yarmouth Ducks

Defenders

Line 1

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
40	Blair Johnson		        30	LD		Avon Knights
13	Erhardt Müller			33	RD		Mers Militia

Line 2

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
48	Tony Pearson			33	LD		Aviemore Pioneers
5	Joel Brenton			21	RD		Ancinnes Rangers

Line 3

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
11	Michael Brice			31	LD		Toussard Daemons
55	Ethan Limby			34	RD		Avon Knights

Forwards

Line 1

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
14	Austin Poindexter(A)		32	LW		Avon Knights
20	Graham Robertson(C)		37	C		Furness Hammers
68	Albert Kersey		        31	RW		Kerveguen HC

Line 2

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
23	Harold Jewel		        30	LW		Yarmouth Ducks
16	Adam Bohatec(A)		        34	C		Yarmouth Ducks
22	Alexander Blackman		30	RW		Cheshnut White Knights

Line 3

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
10	Timothy McLeish		        29	LW		Norton Riders
25	Scott Bebbington		23	C		Rannoch Masters
39	Micah Mallinson			21	RW		Kerveguen HC

Line 4

No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
26	Mark Juhasz			30	RW		Inverness Lions
12	Ondrej Houska		        23	C		Aviemore Pioneers
31	Bert Tabor			22	LW		Furness Hammers

Scratches
No.	Name				Age	Position	Club
4	Iestyn Alderson			21	D		Yarmouth Ducks
18	Simon Morisette	                29	 LW/C		Avon Knights
20     Wolf Bonhomme                    20      D              Toussard Daemons
21	Glenn Greene			23	RD		Aviemore Pioneers
51	Peter Califrnia		        31	LW		Rannoch Masters
71	Aiden Trendell		        23	C		Aviemore Pioneers
74	Johnathan Horsley		26	LD		Mers Militia 
99	Hugo Edlund			29	G		Aviemore Pioneers
91      Dylan Haddon                    23      LW             Inverness Lions 


(S) Starter
(C) Captain
(A) Alternative captain

RP Allowances
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose My Scorers: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to My Players: Yes (Must clear anything severe, resulting in loss of play time, over TG)
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes (Clear over TG first)
RP Ejections for My Players: Yes (Clear over TG first)
Godmod Other Events: Yes (TG first)

by **Taeshan** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 6:07 pm

"Jackson you're return to the World Cup of Hockey wasn't the most respectable, but you've returned for a second go around with the best teams in the world."

"Yeah. It was big news to return Taeshan to the World Cup of Hockey. It has been decades since the side has competed in the biggest hockey tournament in the World, but it was a great opportunity to help the team come back and an honor at such a young age to be captain."

"Not the greatest start in World Cup 38 but now you have a better chance to succeed. A second straight matchup with Valanora, who you played on the final day at the last World Cup with a win advancing you. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Well they are a really good side. They beat the crap out of a lot of teams and we did well to only lose 2-0. It would have been nice to advance but some early flubs, and not the greatest opportunity with the group draw saw us less than successful and so close to home as well given the tournament in our neck of the woods across the bay in Savojarna."

"Valanora and Taeshan are the two best leagues in the world for Hockey, do you think this can develop into a national team competition as well as on the club sides?"

"It can, but much like on the club side we will have to catch up to make that happen. Think of soccer for instance, it was a generation before we got to their level, and it has taken two generations for us to get back to that level. Hockey is a competitive level, and we need to catch up."

"What do you think you need to do to catch up?"

"Well we have a good club competition, we just need to get used to playing together as a national team, and work our ways up the ranks to be a strong team in this tournament."

by **Kita-Hinode** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:40 pm

HINODEJIN NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM
"The Samurai on Ice"
Home | Away | Third
Goal Horn: Goal | Hat Trick

One of those teams that usually shows up for the World Cup of Hockey but doesn't seem to leave that kind of lasting impression you'd expect from the usually competent Hinodejin sports teams. They're managed by a former wonderkid from the Mido-Hinode University and have yet to really win any kind of silverware on the sport. Maybe this is the year... again?

POS.	#	NAME			G	AGE	TEAM
G	8	Sueko YOKOSHI		F	19	Mayako Flyers
G	99	Fumihiro HASHIRA	M	22	Maniwa Suns
G	7	Sakuko DEKURA		F	22	Hinode Guardians
D	14	Kaito MORI		M	26	Sora Blades
D	24	Maki SHOHOJI		M	23	Giishiga Bears
D	34	Tomohiro UMENAKA	M	20	Giishiga Bears
D	23	Kōhei KIKUTANI		M	24	Mereti Colts
D	77	Yuka KOMIYAMA		F	21	Tentai Capitals
D	18	Aika TAKENOCHI		F	24	Mayako Flyers
D	22	Rieko AZUMI		F	23	Mayako Flyers
D	36	Hideki HARANOSONO	M	22	Kurosawa Natives
D	13	Neko KOGANEMARU		M	24	Soshi Oilers
RW	47	Yasunori YAMANARI	M	19	Tentai Capitals
RW	25	Aki ORI			F	23	Maniwa Suns
RW	67	Tami HAMAUCHI		F	21	Nukutaki Penguins
C	88	Kaoru MARUTSUJI (C)	M	21	Nukutaki Penguins
C	3	Waka NOSHITANI		F	21	Shira-Hinode Musketeers
C	69	Fumiya SHINGAKI	(A)	M	23	Sora Blades
LW	39	Yoshinobu KAMACHI	M	19	Soshi Oilers
LW	64	Shoma TOMASHINA	(A)	F	22	Shira-Hinode Musketeers
LW	85	Mizuki OKAZUMI		F	22	Taishinami Painters
MAN.	--	Kira KUROSAWA		F	32	Shira-Hinode Musketeers [Style: 0]

LINES:
FL1	Yamanari - Marutsuji - Kamachi
FL2	Ori - Noshitani - Tomashina
FL3	Hamauchi - Shingaki - Okazumi

DL1	Mori - Shohoji
DL2	Umenaka - Kikutani
DL3	Komiyama - Takenochi
DL4	Azumi - Haranosono

RP PERMISSIONS
Don't kill them or injure them for long stretches of time, cheers.

by **Kelssek** » Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:52 pm

Pre-tournament friendlies
Kelssek 1–0 Trolleborg (Salmonwynd Arena, Redswyth)
Sarzonia 3–1 Trolleborg (Portage Centre, Clayquot)
Kelssek 0–1 HUElavia (Bantam Yard, Latrobe)
Neu Engollon 7–1 Trolleborg (Eolienne Dome, Mazinaw)
Kelssek 1–3 Neu Engollon (Northlands Coliseum, Vickery)

by **Bolgano** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:45 am

Bolgano prepares for WCoH 39

Breton, Kelssek
At the moment the national team of Bolgano is training in a practice section near the Maritime Life Arena stadium with capacity for 18,700 people, a stadium where the national team will make its debut in its second edition, all prepared to face in the first game to Qasden, team number 23 in the multiverse, a team known for its strength that clearly we must take care of some dangerous attack, mainly training the defense for this match that will bring some surprise or sincerely an easy victory for Qasden.

MD2: Bye
This team is very strong, okay no

MD3: Cassadaigua
Cassadaigua will be the team that we must fear, number 11 in the world and surely your game is one of the best in the multiverse, the same technique must be reserved for this game, play defensively.

MD4: Mercedini
This will be hard, to really face the second best team, defensive style with some counterattacks, we must defend the goal as long as possible.

MD5: Vdara
Unraked, If we lose the three previous games this will be the honor, we are favorites for the ranking, but it is only a number, at the moment there are no favorites and both teams will seek to score as quickly as possible.

by **Trolleborg** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 4:30 am

Good evening, dear friends! I’m Tiernes Rieper and right now my guest is chairman of Hockey Association Torquel Rejterholm.

Good evening, dear viewers. I am glad to be here, Tiernes, although I must admit, that the reason is rather unpleasant

Of course, the bulk of the fans perceived the results of last string of friendly matches with great displeasure. We are used to considering our sport one of the best in the world, and in reality things are looked rather grim

Yes, we have been playing hockey for many years in our country, after all we are holding the eightieth national championship, but still the skills must be supplemented by the experience of international competitions.

To some extent, this difficult times we weathered much easier, as the example of football players made it clear what international sport is and how difficult it is for us, beginners, to achieve anything in it. Of course, our guys will put everything they had into the game, the last series of friendly matches clearly showed what we need to work on and what our prospects are.

Can you summarize friendlies for those who did not have the opportunity to go to Kelssek and can not watch the matches in their entirety?

Basically, it seems to me that problem is lack of teamwork. Our team has just gathered together. As you all remember, it was decided to assemble the team from the best players, although the idea was put forward to delegate the champions of our league, strengthening them with hockey players from other clubs, but in the end we take the traditional way, so most of the players never played with each other.

Of course, they need time to prepare, and you should not expect quick results. And another problem is psychological aspects of the game. A lot of goals In these friendlies could have been avoided with proper concentration on the field, but some of the players still cannot keep their heads cool. But they will, it can be said for sure. In this sport, there are no divisions where teams of approximately equal strength play between themselves, and there is no something like Baptism of Fire tournament where you can gain some experience.

In such circumstances, 0:1 from the hosts of the championship, 1:3 against Sarzonia, which have plenty of international experience in past and 1:7 from the best team in the world ranking table is a good result. You yourself can see that the goals scored by us are the result of serious work on the field, and not due to some relaxation on the our opponents part when score is comfortable.

- Question from the audience: what is the system for paying national team players?

Rather traditional, earn-as-you-play. It is unlikely that many of them will get rich today (laughs), but this is not why they go out on the ice. They are here to put way forward for future of our hockey team and defend the honor of the flag - and they fully understand it.

- Question from the audience: where are you located and are you happy with everything?

We found a very good complex in a conveniently located place, there are all the necessary conditions for relaxation and training, and not so far to go to the places where the matches will be held. Players are provided with a balanced diet using local products. Just nothing to complain about even if you have a strong inclination to do so(laughs).

Your advice to the fans?

We need to hear your voice when entering field, feel the connection with everyone in country that the presence of our fans in the stands gives. We understand that our game, alas, will not bring you much joy this time, but still ask you try to give all 100% of what you can. And - a second tip - have fun visiting Kelssek. This is one of the most interesting places where our sports teams brought in their travels around the world. Here is an abundance of everything that you love so much - from cultural monuments to delicious beer.

by **HUElavia** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:20 am

HUElavia returns to the WCoH with hopes of a good tournament!

Los Amarillos once again participate in a World Cup of Hockey, in their 2nd appearance, with the last time seeing Los Amarillos finish in 3rd Place in Group A with a 2-0-2 record and 6 points. This put them up into 33rd in the World Rankings, which is not bad for a group of youngsters.

This time around, the same young squad of players from WCoH 38 are brought here to Kelssek where Los Amarillos will play in Group F against Oscioru (UR), Devonta (15), Equestria (7), and Nikaton (UR). All matches will be played at Redswyth, Kirkenes, Mazinaw, Vickery, Burnaby; with HUElavia projected to finish 3rd in Group F. For this tournament, since there are 40 teams (instead of a well rounded 32), the Group Winners and Runners-up will advance to the Round of 16. The players to look out for includes goalie Vasilevskiy, defender Garcon-Chevalier, and attackers Dominguez-Garcia and Giroux.

There will be a large group of fans traveling to Kelssek looking to support the team, in hopes of seeing the team make the knockout stages. Although, the interest back home is roughly in the few millions, but there is hope that if the team performs well, more fans will come out to support the team in this tournament.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:32 am

WCoH: Not what you were expecting?
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The 39th World Cup of Hockey will be getting underway in Kelssek later tonight, and those that follow the sport are certainly very excited about it. This is a busy time for sporting tournaments, with many Cassadagan sports fans focused on things like NSSCRA or the upcoming World Baseball Classic. A bid was placed to host the World Lacrosse Championships as well, and even the Copa Rushmori figures to be starting up fairly soon. This creates plenty of options for the sporting fan wishing to root on their nation, but the hockey tournament is something that will draw a high level of interest, particularly from our male fans.

As time has gone by from the days of intense gender inequality in Cassadaigua, it is easy to forget that it was hockey, and no other sport, that served as the initial pioneer towards allowing men to play at the international level on a non-segregated team. Not only that, but Andrew Preston, an offensive minded defensemen was named as captain of the team. Preston has become a popular name now for families to name their young boys, and the president of Male Equality Now, Preston I. Grant, is an example of that. Currently, things are quiet on the fight for equal rights for men, and while Grant has plenty more that he wants to accomplish, there have been many small victories along the way. Whenever the World Cup of Hockey comes along, Grant remembers and cherishes those victories. “When Andrew Preston was named captain of the team, no one really complained about it,” Grant remembered, “That was the first step, seeing the populace realize that a male athlete can not only be part of the team, but be a leader on the team. All of the players embraced him, and Andrew was a complete team player.” Grant was not alive during Preston’s captaincy, but was able to meet him afterwards and is grateful for those moments.

That takes us to the current team, and if you are looking for male representation, you might be a little disappointed. Grant was, but more on that in a bit. Only two males made the team, and neither figure to be in a prominent role. Physical power forward Jacob Thomas was named in a projected fourth line role, and another forward, Bryan Auger was named to the team, but likely will be scratched unless there is a rash of injuries surrounding the team. Grant was not necessarily disappointed just because of the lack of men on the team, but because the role in which Thomas seemed to be slated for, “We have made so much progress in gender rights throughout our national sports teams, that I was expecting to see certain players who have proven themselves in Cassadaigua be a part of the roster, and that was not the case. Jacob Thomas, we know what he does at home, and I certainly realize that can be an important part of a hockey team, international play is different then domestic play, typically. I don’t think there is a plan for Jacob to get a lot of ice time unless the game starts to become chippy.”

The coach of the team, Katherine Gardner did not offer much of an explanation as to why only two men were chosen to the team, and while only one will probably play, and even then, in a limited role. You could probably predict her response. Her comment was, “We pick the best players to be a part of this team. You don’t just take the highest scorers throughout the league and say that is your team. You have players who need to fit into different roles, and that is the team we created. We are a balanced team, and we are poised to have a good run in a tournament, and maybe even win that title.” The current captain of the team, Shannon Fowler, did not apologize for that either, “We have assembled the best team possible, and everyone in this locker room belongs here. We have a great team, and no one needs to apologize for the gender breakdown of our roster.” Fowler, a veteran defensemen serving as the captain for the first time went on to say, “How about you criticize the roster of the hosts, Kelssek, for example? I don’t see any gender equality on that roster. There are a lot of teams playing with absolutely no gender equality. All I see are men.”

That was the old school argument of Cassadagan national teams, so it is a little disappointing to hear it resurfacing again. Maybe this is much ado about nothing, but hockey is a sport that seems to welcome more then normal. Our soccer team has it, and our recent World Bowl team was loaded with it. Maybe right now, that is just not where the hockey team is, and maybe as the initial pioneer of the whole issue to begin with, maybe we should cut this team some slack. Or maybe that is why our expectation for it was different. At any rate, this tournament is set to begin, and it is not a long tournament. There is a single group of five in which the Fillies will be a part of, giving them only four games. It is a format that one hot goaltender can simply dominate, so will be unpredictable. We’ll start by playing unranked Vdara, before battling Qasden and Bolgano. Then, following a matchday off to rest up, they meet up with #2 ranked Mercedini. All games are in Kelssek, something that can hurt the interest of the Cassadagan sport fan. Following the World Bowl having all games in Free Republics, that World Lacrosse Championships bid is looking more and more interesting.

by **Gergary** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 10:16 am

Gergary National Ice Hockey Team
Gergary Nationales Eishockey-Team | Gergary Nemzeti Jegkorong Csapat

National Information
Region: Esportiva
World Ranking: 63
National Colors: Gergarian Green and Gold
Home Arena: Gergary nemzeti arena, Pas, Gergary (capacity: 18,773) - If used

Coaching Staff
Manager: Carola Schultes | 54 | Female
Assistant Manager: Moric Pulszky | 52 | Male
Coach: Magda Rosenberg | 42 | Female
Assistant Coach: Gergo Liszt | 37 | Male
Doctor: Emmi Gutermuth | 32 | Female

Playing Squad
Club names of players undisclosed to foreign media

Goaltenders
 1 | GK | Traute Gross           | 32 | Female
36 | GK | Levi Radnoti           | 28 | Male
84 | GK | Lea Brahms             | 19 | Female

Defense
1st Line
78 | LD | Jenci Kedves (captain) | 26 | Male
14 | RD | Zalan Karinthy         | 21 | Male

2nd Line
52 | LD | Bernadett Strelicz     | 23 | Female
81 | RD | Karcsi Bako            | 29 | Male

3rd Line
44 | LD | Tamas Karolyi          | 31 | Male
39 | RD | Ilona Nyers            | 22 | Female

Forwards
1st Line
 8 | LF | Maik Grosser           | 24 | Male
47 | C  | Henrietta Aczel        | 28 | Female
71 | RF | Liliana Bodnar         | 27 | Female

2nd Line
92 | LF | Attila Csurka          | 23 | Male
64 | C  | Fanni Zrínyi           | 27 | Female
11 | RF | Melina Wildgrube       | 27 | Female

3rd Line
51 | LF | Elek Nemeth            | 21 | Male
 4 | C  | Hargita Szasz          | 25 | Female
89 | RF | Astrid Rose            | 31 | Female
 
Reserves
10 | C  | Renata Adam            | 24 | Female
50 | C  | Rezso Kallay           | 26 | Male
48 | W  | Karcsi Eszes           | 17 | Male
33 | W  | Heni Vida              | 35 | Female
58 | W  | Margo Sinkovits        | 29 | Male
16 | D  | Bertalan Varadi        | 24 | Male
 3 | D  | Pisti Feher            | 21 | Male
40 | D  | Gizella Koranyi        | 18 | Female

Jerseys

Gergary's ice hockey jerseys are supplied by Filindostan's No Nonsense Sportswear.
Primary jersey is Green and White with Green helmets - Secondary jersey is Black and Gold with Gold helmets.
The national symbol of Gergary (white vulture) is placed in the front of the jerseys.

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 (I'll determine the severity and length; no career ending injuries)
Godmod Injuries to My Players: No
RP Penalties for My Players: Yes
RP Ejections for My Players: Yes (If you eject my players, eject at least one of yours too)
Godmod Other Events: No

Style Modifier: -4

by **Gergary** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 10:27 am

Gergary's Number Two News Outlet - at least we're honest here.

Sport
WCoH - Any hope of advancement?

KELSSEK - Gergary returns from their two-edition absence from Ice Hockey's most prestigious tournament, but let's face it, they won't advance from the group stages again.

Why are we saying this? Because we are grouped with the world #1 and #10 teams. Neu Engollon and Free Republics are one of the most finest teams in ice hockey, and this team is just made up of part-timers even if our roster say that their respective teams are undisclosed to foreign media, because there are no teams to hear of. Maybe later this year, they still have not established the Eishockey Bundesliga or Magyar shiz I would not care to elaborate further.

Add Anthor and TJUN-ia to the list and we have our wonderful Gergary team at bottom of Group A after five matches. No hope of advancing at all.

As usual, we'll get second hand and second rate info from the WCoH in Kelssek, because our government would not give us budget to cover the games in flesh. Lol.

by **Savojarna** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 12:02 pm

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
World Cup 39 roster is revealed

Savojarna plays a game that is mostly depending on tactical discipline and puck possession. While the Savojars do value a good deflection or rebound goal, and certainly have many players who can do such things, they usually prefer a pass to a shot from a desperate position hoping for a lucky bounce. Their players think fast rather than move exceptionally fast (but they are not slow either!), with a few exceptions on the attack since the coaching changed and the team is a bit more aggressive. While they don't have to hide from anyone, they are usually not physically superior.

In terms of tactics, they play an aggressive forechecking with one or two men, trying to force puck losses, and drop back to their own blue line once the opponent has reached the neutral zone. They attempt to keep the opponent away from their own side, and defend usually quite solid. On the attack, Savojarna's top lines work with a lot of passing and cycling the puck to find an open lane while the third and fourth line play deeper and with more drive to the net. Especially the fourth line often crowds the slot, while the third is more likely to go deep and play behind the net. Usually, the Savojars play with 13 forwards and 7 defenders. On the men's team, Glukov can be expected to barely play outside special teams.

The Savojar team plays a powerplay focused mainly on shooting from the point and the circle. The two defenders play both in the area between the blue line and the top of the circle, but occasionally advance to the circle. The winger on the side of the puck moves to the circle to be open and get a shot off, the other winger moves towards the goal to assist the center in screening and opening shooting lanes. The center remains in front of the goal. In penalty killing, Savojarna lets the opponent play around the boards, but intervenes quickly if the puck moves inside the box. They play a PK with relatively little pressure.

Style Mod: +1.25

Coach: Fridtjof Ragnarsson (54)
Assistant coaches: Denis Patrishin (43), Alexander Litmanen (38)
Medical and physio staff: Dr. Pyotr Alexandrov (64), Dr. Valtteri Naumanen (47), Lisa Andersson (36), Kari Litmanen (34)
Press representative: Carl Törmänen (35) - please note that apart from mixed zone interviews and WCoH press conferences, only Törmänen is authorised to speak to foreign media.

Savojar National Team
Pos	Nr.	Name                	Age	Club                          	Style
GK	30	Niklas Hoyman   	32	CASK Thorsborg                  BFY
GK	35	Andrey Strakhov        	37	International Pawlograd     	HYB
GK	70	Ville Kerjanen   	26	Savojars Vinge Virkaja       	HYB
1st LINE
D	22	Erik Kristiansen - C  	31	Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           	OFD
D	 8	Mikael Ingerman        	24	CASK Thorsborg           	DFD
LW	40	Ville Stefansson 	33	SK Torpedo Pawlograd            SNP
C	18	Mikko Simonen   	33	RHK Savojagrad                  PLM
RW	28	Denis Elegin      	30	International Pawlograd         SNP
2nd LINE
D	 5	Jon Asgeirsson   	32	ESK Storevik              	DFD
D	21	Soren Falborg    	29	Exton Islanders (MRC)        	OFD
LW	17	Johan Bryzhnev         	25	PT Hovikkära	SNP
C	47	Eythor Malinsson	24	ESK Storevik              	PLM
RW	41	Jonas Gulbrandsson - A	27	ESK Storevik    PLM
3rd LINE
D	80	Victor Troels     	31	RHK Savojagrad                 	TWD
D	29	Terje Nordrsson 	25	ESK Storevik              	OFD
LW	55	Dominik Gränlund - A	30	CASK Thorsborg                 	GRN
C	92	Anders Hejman   	30	ESK Storevik             	SNP
RW	19	Tuomas Jaskinen       	31	PT Hovikkära             	TWA
4th LINE
D	44	Tuukka Lajanen         	24	Traktor St. Andrei              TWD
LW	53	Valeri Taranin   	28	CASK Thorsborg                  SNP
C	33	Jacob Andersson         23	Orga MC (MRC)                   PWF
RW	53	Yuri Elyagin       	22	Dynamo St. Andrei             	PWF
RW	10	Andrey Dragunov   	24      PT Hovikkära                    SNP
RESERVES
D	13	Vyacheslav Glukov       34	RHK Savojagrad          	TWD
C	52	Anders Hjalmarsson   	30	HK Metall Jarnstad             	PLM

Goalkeeper order: Hoyman - Kerjanen - Strakhov, unless indicated otherwise.

Special Teams:
PP1: Falborg - Gulbrandsson - Stefansson - Andersson - Bryzhnev
PP2: Glukov - Kristiansen - Söderberg - Hejman - Jaskinen
PK1: Asgeirsson - Falborg - Andersson - Jaskinen
PK2: Ingerman - Glukov - Elyagin - Gränlund

Players

Goalkeepers: Nick Hoyman is the main goalie of Savojarna. He is an athletic and quite spectacular butterfly goalkeeper who is very hard to beat off the first shot, but gives up a lot of rebounds. Obviously he got quite some practice in defending against them as a consequence, but facing against teams who shoot the puck a lot he is bound to give up some goals. Kerjanen is a very different type and considered Hoyman’s equal. He is more stationary and relies a lot on his insane skills of reading play and knowing what to expect from an opponent. He and Hoyman will alternate group stage games, and Kerjanen may also play a KO game (this is indicated in RP if it happens). Strakhov has been considered the best goalie in the SHS for a while, but is past his prime. He is extremely consistent on a somewhat mediocre level, and mainly on the team as an off-ice leader.

Defencemen
Following the retirement from international play of Alexey Yarchenko, Kristiansen has inherited the task of organising defence as well as the role as Savojarna’s leader. He has great spatial awareness and good passing skills, but is a bit limited in physical play (by Savojar standards) and doesn’t have the shot expected by an OFD. Asgeirsson is a shutdown defender whose speciality is to relentlessly attack the opponent’s key players in the defensive zone and wear them down with hard checks. The second pairing has probably the most offensive firepower. Falborg is a pinching defenceman who has high speed and stamina, and is very good at keeping the blue line. His linemate Mikael Ingerman is considered to have the hardest shot in the SHS, but is often considered a bit lacking in judgment. Due to his overall conservative disposition, that rather means overly safe play than giving up chances, so the risks are limited. Troels is a hard-working player who will run after every puck and secure the blue line, as well as having a decent shot, whereas Nordrsson is a player whose main strength is to construct and guide the game with the puck. Defensively, he is limited, explaining his third line status. Glukov is a physical player with an extremely hard shot, and an off-ice leader, but age has worn down his stamina. He is kept on the team as a special teams player and a leader in the locker room. Lajanen is a solid allrounder with some lack of experience internationally, and will be used against offensive top teams to stabilise the defence.

Centres
Simonen and Malinsson are both similar players who will be distributing pucks left and right. Both of them are somewhat lacking - again, to Savojar standards - in physicality and will suffer against very strong opposition that drive them away from the goal. Consequentially, they will mostly drift wide a bit and try to find open wingers at the posts. The main difference between them is that Malinsson is a technically more adept man, whereas Simonen relies more on vision and intelligence. Hejman is the only centre who mainly scores goals. He is a relentless sniper who often lurks at the hashmarks to find some space to drive to the goal, receive a pass and deflect or score. Andersson is another regular scorer, but thrives more off deflections and assists due to his hulking presence. He is also a very enduring player thanks to his time in the Mercedinian league. Finally, Hjalmarsson is a more physical playmaker who will be mostly used as a backup or an occasional 13th forward for the powerplay.

Wingers
Stefansson and Elegin both are extremely hard and precise shooters, who are great at utilising the passes from their centre. Both are fast on the first metres, but somewhat lacking on long, fast runs. Their physical presence often allows them to anchor themselves at the post and wait for a pass. Brzyhnev and Gulbrandsson are also similar to each other, but completely different than the top 2 wingers. They are fast players, and especially in the case of Gulbrandsson, dazzling technicians. Expect them to show glamourous plays on the counter and score a few breakaways. Both are considered to have barely any defensive responsibilities to allow their skills to shine. Gränlund is a player who thrives on the boards and in the corner, hard to drive away or separate from the puck, and good at pinching in to secure a rebound. His linemate Jaskinen is comparable to Stefansson and Elegin, but notably slower and stronger, lurking at the post rather than accelerating in from the side. Taranin is a sharpshooter operating from the side, bringing the puck to the net whenever he can, and hoping for goalies to miss it or for his linemate Elyagin to drive in and push it over the line. Dragunov is the more defensively oriented version of Elyagin, to be used more often when a lead must be defended.

Jerseys

(Displayed is the Olympic version. For the WCoH version, the Olympic Estoile is replaced with the Savojar flag)

by **Adyatin** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 12:05 pm

The Holy Kingdom of Adyatin
Roster for 39th World Cup of Hockey

Adyatin play a defensive style of hockey, with a lot of zeal and force. While not an unfair team, you can expect them to stand their ground, rattle the boards and drive to the net. Savojarna and Adyatin are considered mortal enemies, especially from the POV of Adyatin, and shall they play each other expect chaos and fighting on the ice and on the stands. Adyatin's fans and players are all expected to be fervently nationalist, as this is a prerequisite to being allowed to leave Adyatin. The Adyatinian hockey league is small, but professional; but it suffers from being closed off the rest of the world. It is largely dominated by the army club ZSKA Adyatyagrad (and its two SKA subsidiaries) and the Northwestern club Ataka Staraya Vetry, which is said to be favoured by Royal Prime Minister Svetanov. ZSKA and ASV have finished in the top 2 all of the last eight championships, and the last victory by a different team is more than fifteen years ago. They keep competition small by gobbling up all talent in the nation, leading to strong teams with weak competition - and it is an open secret in Adyatinian hockey that the refs are biased towards the two top clubs as well.

OOC Note: Despite using the (Z)SKA nomenclature common in post-communist states, Adyatin is not communist; it is a fervently anti-communist conservative authoritarian/fascist-ish state.

Style Mod: -3.25

Coach: Yauheni Paravich (45)
Assistant coach: Oleg Metrov (48)
Political Officer and Head of Team Security: Cpt. Lew Turganov (54)

Goalkeepers
#1 Hleb Yeranek (25, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
#30 Vitaliy Ivanov (31, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
#31 Gennadi Stamkov (23, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Line 1
D #2 Kasimir Novchenko (33, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
D #5 Vasiliy Urov (26, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
LW #12 Mikhail Samov (30, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
C #14 Kirilo Naroshenko (31, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
RW #8 Patryk Sukachev (28, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Line 2
D #3 Juray Hetman (35, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
D #4 Aleksei Hautarovich (26, Ataka Staraya Vetry) -- C
LW #9 Barys Netanov (28, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
C #11 Lyubomir Tsygankov (29, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
RW #10 Heorhiy Tretyak (34, SKA Yautarograd)

Line 3
D #6 Dmitry Zareyev (36, HK Rotko)
D #20 Konstantin Andreyev (31, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
LW #13 Pavel Katorenko (23, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
C #15 Miroslav Ogonek (28, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
RW #23 Artsyom Volkov (32, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Line 4
D #16 Leanid Preshov (27, SKA Yautarograd)
D #18 Nikita Ukanenko (22, SKA Varinsk)
LW #19 Serhey Savorenko (27, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)
C #24 Nikolau Pavatsin (30, SKA Varinsk)
RW #21 Aljaksander Simunov (26, Ataka Staraya Vetry)

Reserves
D #26 Petro Omachenko (29, Ataka Staraya Vetry)
D #27 Karol Hanarek (18, SKA Yautarograd)
C #22 Taras Mihailovich (33, ZSKA Adyatyagrad)

Special Teams:
PP1: Novchenko - Urov - Netanov - Naroshenko - Katorenko
PP2: Hetman - Hautarovich - Samov - Tsygankov - Sukachev
PK1: Novchenko - Urov - Naroshenko - Volkov
PK2: Hautarovich - Andreyev - Ogonek - Sukachev

RP Permissions:
Go wild, but keep to RL natural laws. Also, you may only do to me what I may do to you.
Additional note: If you're one of the people who first checks in with your opponent on RP, no need to do that with Adyatin. This is a puppet and between hosting and RP'ing Savojarna, I doubt I'll do much with it in this edition, so feel free to RP first.

by **Sarzonia** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 2:33 pm

The walk into the dressing room at Portage Centre wasn't all that long, but for Matt Peterson, it felt like an eternity.

With his bag containing his gear slung over his right shoulder, he felt a weight on his shoulders that far exceeded the 24 kilograms the bag contained.

He was about to return to a hockey rink to play meaningful hockey for the first time in several years. When the fateful moment finally arrived and he stood in front of the locker with PETERSON and his jersey number 1 taped on, the reality set in.

This wasn't just having a go on the weekends and playing in the over 35 league near his home. This wasn't a gathering of former Stars hockey players commiserating about seasons past, including their 3-games-to-2 defeat to Plutoni in the finals of the 10th World Cup of Hockey that deprived the Stars of becoming the first country to lift trophies in all the major sports in the multiverse. Cassadaigua have those honours, but the Stars realise this World Cup will be extremely unlikely to see the Stars join the Fillies in that particular bit of rarefied company.

This was real. Even though it was a friendly against Trolleborg, who were relative newcomers in the sporting world, but were very familiar to Sarzonian football fans. The Stars faced Trolleborg twice during qualifying for World Cup 84, then battled them during the Under 21 World Cup. Now the Stars were playing a friendly match against Trolleborg prior to the World Cup of Hockey. Because it was a friendly, Stars manager Paul Bremerton saw fit to start Peterson instead of the young Jacob Parsons. Bremerton also told the assembled media he would play Yuri Evgenikov "significant minutes" to keep both goalies sharp behind Parsons.

Peterson stared at the locker for a couple of moments, then drew in his breath and exhaled. He hesitated for a moment prior to opening the door to the locker to exchange his street clothes for hockey goalie's equipment.

"You nervous?" came the familiar, slightly French-accented voice Peterson had all but forgotten in the years since he'd hung up his skates for the last time. It was Sylvain Turcotte, Sarzonia's leading goal scorer and team captain. Peterson turned around and saw Turcotte approach him and place his right hand on Peterson's right shoulder. He leaned in, seemingly aware that Peterson was hiding something under the false bravado he'd demonstrated on the bus ride to the rink.

"I'm scared shitless," Peterson whispered. "I know this is only a friendly, but I haven't played in a long time. I'm really doubting I can still do this." Turcotte looked him in the eyes closely and creased his mouth into a grin.

"Matt, you've got this," Turcotte said. "You were so important to us for so long, and I'm glad you're here now." He then embraced Peterson in a long hug that drew a couple of "awwwww"s from other players on the team. One by one, they came up to Peterson and patted him on the shoulder, the back, or they hugged him. Finally, it was time for Peterson to get in his gear and take the walk out to the rink for the match against Trolleborg.

After Peterson played the first 33:26 of the match between the pipes, highlighed by goals from Turcotte and Cameron Granato and an answer from Ruud Halgren, Bremerton sent on Evgenikov. The two goalies bumped fists as Peterson skated back to the bench. When he got back, the Stars players enthusiastically saluted their veteran goalie. Matt Davies scored into an empty net with 52 seconds left to seal the deal for the Stars. After the two teams lined up and exchanged handshakes following the match, Peterson walked back into the dressing room and let out a whoop! as soon as he crossed the threshold.

It may not count for three points and it may not do anything for the Stars chances to extend their visit to Kelssek, but it did give Peterson a chance to get the early jitters out of his system. It also gave him a feel good story for Junior and Juliana. And an excuse to FaceTime Holden.

by **Trolleborg** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 2:36 pm

It's TTV from the streets (well, not only from streets) of Kirkenes.
Our fans followed team wherever they can, and the hockey world championship is no exception. Our team could get to the previous rally, but then fate decreed otherwise, but now the dream of many generations of hockey fans has come true: Trolleborg will be present at the championship.
At the night before, the center of the city was already full of our fellow citizens, admiring the beautiful highlighting of historical attractions

especially the illumination of the high-rise proud Panopti Tower, we would need to adopt such a way of work with high-rise buildings

In the daylight it was obvious that visitor from Trolleborg was already quite a lot in numbers,
in the morning they paid tribute to museums, attractions, shops, and (what is
there to hide?) and pubs too. If the winner of the tournament was determined by the number of selfies with the arch of the Exhibition Gate on the background, we would definitely be a champions

And then a human river flowed to the arena, where our team’s debut match in official tournaments will be played, even from the TV tower you can see how great the human river is, and there are also many fans of our rivals in it

Most likely it will be a delightful match with many goals. Unfortunately, mostly at our net, but we still hope for the best. Fans are very pleased with the reception inside the sports complex, the food is beyond praise, varied, for every taste, and there are no queues.

The teams have already started warm-up, and fans of our team are in full swing of what their throats can give, preparing to provide our guys with all the support they can.

by **Kelssek** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 4:05 pm

WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY
Flat play in pre-tournament matches has pundits sounding alarm

An uninspired showing in their three warm-up games for the World Cup of Hockey has prompted warnings that Kelssek need to improve if they are going to make any progress in the competition. They could only manage one goal in a win against unranked Trolleborg while taking losses against HUElavia and defending champions Neu Engollon.

Kelssek enter the tournament tied-33rd in the world rankings. Memories of the insipid performance in Savojarna which saw them fail to make the knockout rounds are still fresh, and controversy has already begun after the final cuts to the roster led to an identical squad as the one sent to Savojarna.

KBC analyst Carlin Turner, a former national team captain, was blunt in his criticism following the team's final preparatory match, in which they put in a creditable performance in a 1-0 loss against the world's number-one ranked team. "You have to ask why did they invite Cathy Rickards, Peter Gilchirst, Jordan Lee, all players who have had excellent seasons in the KHL, get them out to a selection camp and then just choose the same players again. By rights all three of them should be there ahead of guys who really are being given a free pass because the coaches like them. It's embarrassing to see this."

"Kelssek Hockey simply don't seem to have responded to some very warranted criticism about how they're running the national team. It beggars belief that they can actually say this is the best squad they can put together and its the same players all over again with some shuffling of the coaches around. Nothing changed since the last World Cup?"

Chevalles HC head coach Daniel Kirkland turned down the offer to return as the bench boss, although there will be some continuity in the coaching staff with Dennis Emberly as head coach and Alain Champagneur and Richie O'Malley returning. Of course, this has also raised questions about whether the poor outing last time should have prompted different choices.

Others have counselled patience, seeing a need for Kelssek to simply regain experience at the international level. Former national team coach and World Cup-winning player Séverine Jeanne called for supporters to give Kelssek staunch home support. "The players need to focus on not letting the pressure turn it into a home disadvantage. The way that fans can help is simply to be supportive, to show up and be loud and accept that we are in a rebuilding phase and the success won't come immediately."

by **Siovanija and Teusland** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 4:58 pm

Siovanija and Teusland National Hockey Team

Facts

Nation Name: United Republics of Siovanija and Teusland
Short Names: Siovanija and Teusland, the United Republics
Demonyms: Siovanijan, Teuslander/Teus
Governing Body: Hockey Siovanija and Teusland
Colours: Blue, gold, white
Anthem: ‘High Mountain Skies’
Highest Domestic League: Ehrenliga
Nicknames: The Goldhorns
Style Modifier: +4

Head Coach: Aaron KUHN (Stelburg Kaisers)

It was the greatest run in the Goldhorns' short World Cup of Hockey history. All the way to 4th place, in World Cup of Hockey 38. Now, just 2 years later, coach Aaron Kuhn and his squad are back to attempt to go a few places better in Kelssek. It's the same fast-paced, physical hockey from the Goldhorns here, and the team is relatively unchanged from last tournament. This gives the Goldhorns a more experienced blueline corps, while also seeing players like Timo Schlager and Razvigor Tsvetanov beginning to enter their true primes. For many players here, this will likely be the last shot they get at the World Cup of Hockey. There's definitely some extra motivation for this roster, then, as they head into the national team's 5th WCoH tournament.

Roster

Goaltenders

G -- David WAGNER -- 31y/o -- Stelburg Kaisers -- #1
G -- Ruslan IVANOV -- 34y/o -- Admirala Pomorie -- #30
G -- Volker SEIDEN -- 27y/o -- Eisbaren Stelburg -- #31

David Wagner takes over the starting position for the WCoH thanks to his exceptional performances over the last few seasons in the Ehrenliga. He led the league in GAA and S% last season, was named the league’s Best Goalie, and guided his team to the Strauss Cup Finals again. He’s excellent under pressure, and clearly Aaron Kuhn feels that in a high-pressure tournament situation, he is the man. There could be no better backup than Ruslan Ivanov, the Admirala Pomorie man who has been key to the national team’s success over the last few years. Asked before boarding the plane to Kelssek about his new role with the team, Ivanov replied that he’s excited to help David and the entire team achieve their goals. Volker Seiden returns as the third goalie for the tournament.

Defencemen
D -- Bojidar IVANKOV -- 33y/o -- Admirala Pomorie -- #2
D -- Jorg GOTTSCHALL -- 28y/o -- Seelowe Marlesee -- #3
D -- Koloman SCHWARZMANN -- 29y/o -- Teufelsberg Devils -- #4
D -- Timo HORN -- 33y/o -- St. Jakob Saints -- #5
D -- Gregor HERDER -- 30y/o -- Stelburg Kaisers -- #6
D -- Stefan SCHIELE -- 21y/o -- Marzig Wolves -- #8
D -- Lothar SCHERER -- 33y/o -- Stelburg Kaisers -- #22

The Goldhorns’ veteran defence corps returns to this tournament, with some changes to the pairings and a new face joining the ranks. Bojidar Ivankov and Jorg Gottschall are the top pair, great chemistry between the two-way Ivankov and the puck-moving Gottschall. Koloman Schwarzmann, whose Ehrenliga highlight reel is full of massive hits as well as a cannon of a slapshot, pairs up with Timo Horn. Horn is a quite versatile defender who will be expected to pinch more and play the puck more on a pairing with the big man Schwarzmann. Gregor Herder is a constantly reliable defender who always makes the smart play on the puck, while Stefan Schiele returns to the national team setup, a very strong puck-moving defenceman. He was one of the reasons why the Wolves had one of the best power-plays in the Ehrenliga last season. Lothar Scherer is back as the 7th defenceman, capable of playing any role he is called for.

Left Wing

LW -- Alex SCHNYDER -- 31y/o -- Teufelsberg Devils -- #7
LW -- Frank HEIDER -- 25y/o -- Seelowe Marlesee -- #14
LW -- Kosyo VARBANOV -- 31y/o -- Rudar Trkev -- #13
LW -- Veselin FILIPOV -- 32y/o -- Olympia Borograd -- #15

The left side features a very, very strong contingent of players for the national team. Alex Schnyder is one of the best goal-scorers in the Ehrenliga, he put up 50 goals last season, 3rd in the league and 6th in overall points. His one-timer is probably the best in the league, and any time he is on the puck the goalie needs to be aware. Frank Heider has developed into one of the best playmakers in the league during his career, but he also has the capability to score goals. Usually when they come for Heider, they come when needed: he certainly has a clutch gene about him, and has great chemistry with his centre and Marlesee teammate Timo Schlager. Kosyo Varbanov is a veteran of the team, and another very capable playmaker. Veselin Filipov makes up the left flank of an all-Olympia 4th unit that serves as this team’s energy unit but is capable of creating on its own as well.

Right Wing

RW -- Razvigor TSVETANOV -- 26y/o -- Admirala Pomorie -- #19
RW -- Wolfram SPIEGEL -- 34y/o -- Stelburg Kaisers -- #12
RW -- Christian HASSELBERGER -- 28y/o -- Pinguine Ternau -- #24
RW -- Grozdan ADAMOV -- 34y/o -- Olympia Borograd -- #17

No national team roster would be complete without Razvigor Tsvetanov at the very top of the right wing depth chart. 55 Ehrenliga goals last season, and the power forward is perhaps the best pure goalscorer in the league. It’s hard to stop him when he’s on the puck, and that applies to both defenders and goalies alike. Wolfram Spiegel had 40 goals last season as he continues to produce as he ages, Spiegel has always been good for his country and that will be expected to continue this tournament. Christian Hasselberger is an energy player, doing a lot of heavy lifting to win the puck along the boards. There’s no one on this team you want in the corners more than him, as he is a big physical presence. Grit isn’t the only part of his game, however, and he’s had consecutive 20 goal seasons for Ternau now. Grozdan Adamov is back, a strong playmaker who will provide much of the creativity on the fourth line.

Centres

C -- Gunter PFENNING -- 33y/o -- St. Jakob Saints -- #9
C -- Timo SCHLAGER -- 24y/o -- Seelowe Marlesee -- #97
C -- Edwin RANGER -- 23y/o -- Stelburg Kaisers -- #34
C -- Gero RADULOV -- 30y/o -- Olympia Borograd -- #64
C -- Vitomir GLASKOV -- 21y/o -- Energija Chernovets -- #20

The depth the Goldhorns possess at centre is ridiculous, and this will be a core strength of the team at the World Cup of Hockey. Gunter Pfenning is our nation’s greatest-ever player, and is fresh off winning his third career Strauss Cup. He was the playoff MVP as well as the league MVP, and put up 98 points. There’s just a certain aura around him: a consummate professional, a strong leader on and off the ice, and a player with incredible on-ice vision. Pfenning is the leader of this team, and with his third Strauss Cup secured, the goal of his career now is to guide Siovanija and Teusland to new heights. Behind him is Timo Schlager, the heir apparent who led the Ehrenliga in scoring last season (101 points). Schlager has an explosive first step when skating, and blows by defenders with ease. He is the best puck-handler in the league, and reads the game at an exceptional level. He can shoot and pass very well, scoring 45 last year, but it is his playmaking ability that will help out on a line with Wolfram Spiegel this tournament. Next up is Edwin Ranger, the Stelburg Kaisers centre, who many pundits say has the best wrist shot in the Ehrenliga. Ranger is a big man who uses his body well, and he often plays in front of the net when working the power-play. Gero Radulov centres the fourth unit, a very skilled player in his own right but capable of playing the role tasked with. Vitomir Glaskov should expect to see more ice time this tournament, and he and Ranger are expected to be a massive part of the Goldhorns' future at this position.

Captain: Gunter Pfenning
Alternate Captains: Bojidar Ivankov, Alex Schnyder

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes, as long as it could realistically happen in a hockey game
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes, I determine length/severity
Godmod Injuries to my Players: Yes as long as it could realistically happen in a hockey game
Godmod Other Events: Yes, as long as it could realistically happen in a hockey game (this apparently includes 42-year-old zamboni drivers playing goal and winning games, because, well, only my Leafs could screw that up)

Group and Schedule

The Goldhorns, now the 4th-ranked side in international ice hockey, have been drawn into Group D. Group D features last edition's hosts Savojarna, the 32nd-ranked Vangaziland, and 2 unranked sides in Sarzonia and Trolleborg. The unranked sides are, however, not ones to look over: the Stars have a long history in world sports, and Trolleborg will be familiar to Siovanija & Teusland football fans as they made a name for themselves at the Sporting World Cup hosted in our nation. It will be an interesting group stage for the Goldhorns, as they face another rising hockey power in the Savojar along with tricky matches with Vangaziland, Sarzonia and Trolleborg. Here is the full schedule:

MD1: Bye
MD2: Siovanija and Teusland vs Sarzonia, Salmonwynd Arena, Redswyth
MD3: Vangaziland vs Siovanija and Teusland, Bantam Yard, Latrobe
MD4: Siovanija and Teusland vs Trolleborg, Portage Centre, Clayquot
MD5: Savojarna vs Siovanija and Teusland, Lupinissia Place, Ulyanof

So, the Goldhorns will have to get going right away as they face a tricky challenge against Sarzonia to kick off the tournament. If the group goes chalk, there is a mouthwatering clash between the Goldhorns and Savojarna on matchday 5 that could determine top spot in the group. It's important for the Goldhorns to remain focused, however, and that the first 3 games are just as important as any other. The experience of the fourth-place run last tournament should give the Goldhorns knowledge of what exactly it takes to go deep in a tournament like this.

RBC Sports and Hockey Night in Siovanija & Teusland will have complete live coverage of the 39th World Cup of Hockey, straight from Kelssek. Let's go Goldhorns!

by **-Anthor-** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 5:48 pm

Nothing Quite like a Hard Beginning
Looking to redeem themselves this Cup, the Ducks face no other than the reigning champions in the first match

^{SHARE THIS:}

Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus (@Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus)(TH)
^{Gerand 29, 605AE 6:00p | Vaumort, Anthor}

Vaumort, Anthor(Herald) — Tonight in Kelssek, the 39th edition of the World Cup of Hockey will debut, with it's forty member teams beginning the first of four matches as each seek the coveted playoff advancement, and among them our Ducks are certainly looking to sake the sins of their awful performance from the last Cup and return to the playoffs here in this edition. It will be an uphill battle, as their group contains both the reigning champions from the 28th Cup in Neu Engollon, as well as the 10th best international team out of the Free Republics. The Ducks have found themselves removed from the Top 10, dropped to 22nd overall after abysmal performance in the 38th and a total absence in the 37th, so they must win at least 3, ideally all 4 games here if they wish to advance more then likely.

As mentioned in our pre-tournament coverage, the Ducks have undergone many reforms and corrections, notably was the removal of long-time assistant Gabe Wilmer, and in his stead Horn has brought on the Mers Militia head coach Justin Ryan, who has guided the Milita since long-time coach Carlton Lovering retired back in the offseason following the 602 season. Lovering had turned Mers into the defensive powerhouse that comes with it's name now, but it has been Ryan who turned that reputation and prestige into actual results on the ice, winning a number of playoff appearances, though still chasing their first Cup. Ryan's inclusion also came with the addition of a wave of youngsters out of the AIHF, many old players hanging up their sweaters or being relegated to lower lines. Notably, Dickson Moore, Guy Ryley, Aric Langely are all gone from the Ducks for the first time since they debuted with the team back in the 29th edition, with Lester Brandon of the Penshurst Earls earning the top goaltender spot, and budding All-Star Petr Beran with Yarmouth backing him up. Roderick Deschamps and Koddey Stoddard are both gone from the Ducks, another long-time defensive staple. Deschamps was by choice, he announced he was retiring from international hockey to try and help Yarmouth rebuild and repair it's domestic dynasty, but Stoddard was a surprise removal. Blair Johnson, the reigning 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, has taken the first line as well as the Militia captain Erhardt Mueller, backed up by international debutant Joel Brenton out of Ancinness on the second line.

Forwards saw less change, though Micah Mallinson continues to make his storm across Anthoran hockey as he was named to the 3rd line, with Scott Bebbington who is also making his international debutant, and Timothy McLeish who is eager to prove he has rebounded fully from that torn MCL. Horn will probably utilize this third line much more then line 4, it's the youngest and fastest of the bunch, Bebbington and Mallinson have both developed their speed significantly in the short professional careers, though Mallinson was probably added more for his physicality. Bebbington is less physical, but is certainly more refined of a scorer, his release on shots is much improved, though I retain my opinion that Micah has more talent, just less developed.

For the Ducks first match, they begin their campaign by starting off with the hardest contest, against the reigning champions themselves. The champions of the 35th Cup get to go against the 38th edition, and it will be a close contest no matter how well the Ducks play I believe. Undoubtedly, I think we will get to see any tactical changes that Ryan has brought in on full display here, I'm sure Horn will want to use his defensive talents and put them to good use against the offensive might of Neu Engollon. If I had to take a guess, they will probably try to play the first quarter trying to exhaust the power of the opposition's offense, before turning on the attack themselves. It will be interesting to see Ryan use defensive schemes paired with a potent offense that the Ducks have, unlike his domestic team which has always struggled to assemble a competent offensive unit. However here with the Ducks, Robertson remains at the top of his game no matter what number is under the age category, and Austin Poindexter, Alexander Blackman, Harold Jewel are all well into their primes and more then capable of leading the offense single-handily.

Gnaeus Tanicus Vopiscus contributed to this article.

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by **Recuecn** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 5:57 pm

"A nice rail network... hockey... a bilingual francophone country... we might as well still be in Reçueçn!" Elea Lörtscher mused aloud to her teammates as they gazed out the windows of the Vélocit Kelssek, speeding them towards their first game—and indeed, their nation's first ever game—in the World Cup of Hockey.

Berthe Arcenaux sat in the seat across from her, filming a boomerang of the scenery as it whipped past. "Yeah, makes you feel right at home, doesn't it."

"Well you better play as if you were at home then," laughed Elea. "No excuses."

"Not even jet-lag?" asked Lynn Kern, sitting in the same compartment.

"No!" yelled Elea, in mock outrage. "You've been here a week!"

Lynn seemed to lose the spirit of the joke. "Then I don't see why we waited 'til the last minute to come up to Clayquot. Instead we're just sitting around in Kirkenes."

Berthe rolled her eyes. "Ok, it's not really fair to say we're 'sitting around.' It's probably been the most intense training I've done since the olympics."

"Which obviously we were over-prepared for."

"How can you be over-prepared for the Olympics?" laughed Elea.

"If you win Gold without a challenge."

Elea and Berthe started to speak over each other.

"Yeah, but we didn't know—"

"Did I see you straight-up chewing on your gold medal earlier? Why'd you even bring it?"

"Plus," Elea added, "you're arguing against yourself now. If we were 'over-prepared' for the olympics, then surely it's fine to 'lounge around' or whatever you said in Kirkenes."

"Everybody knows the world cup of hockey is a lot harder than the Olympics though," said Lynn. That shut everybody up for a minute. It was definitely true, but nobody quite knew why that was.

"I think it's one of those weird Margaret things," said Berthe. "There's like no correlation between who does well at the Olympics and who does well at the world cup."

"It's almost like some teams just show up to the Olympics and choose to be good," said Elea.

"It worked for us," said Lynn.

The conversation died there, but it left the Reçuecian girls to continue to sit and stare out the window, wondering if it was possible that they might have as much luck here in Kelssek as they had had in Vilita. And as they wondered, the vélocit carried them ever closer to the first game against La Fiorita where they'd begin to find out.

by **Kelssek** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:24 pm

OOC notes: teams with MD1 byes won't appear in the tables until MD2.
Furthermore, apologies for not clarifying this rule before, but for standings purposes the winner of a shootout is credited with one goal for and the loser one goal against.

Group A
Anthor 6–5 Neu Engollon
Free Republics 2–2 Gergary (2–0 SO)

  Group A                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Anthor                    1   1   0   0   0    6   5  +1    3
2 Free Republics            1   0   1   0   0    3   2  +1    2
3 Gergary                   1   0   0   1   0    2   3  -1    1
4 Neu Engollon              1   0   0   0   1    5   6  −1    0

Group B
Vdara 1–5 Cassadaigua
Qasden 0–1 Bolgano

  Group B                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua               1   1   0   0   0    5   1  +4    3
2 Bolgano                   1   1   0   0   0    1   0  +1    3
3 Qasden                    1   0   0   0   1    0   1  −1    0
4 Vdara                     1   0   0   0   1    1   5  −4    0

Group C
Banija 3–0 New Moreessia Ban
Abanhfleft 3–2 Terre Septentrionale

  Group C                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Banija                    1   1   0   0   0    3   0  +3    3
2 Abanhfleft                1   1   0   0   0    3   2  +1    3
3 Terre Septentrionale      1   0   0   0   1    2   3  −1    0
4 New Moreessia Ban         1   0   0   0   1    0   3  −3    0

Group D
Sarzonia 0–1 Savojarna
Vangaziland 3–5 Trolleborg

  Group D                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Trolleborg                1   1   0   0   0    5   3  +2    3
2 Savojarna                 1   1   0   0   0    1   0  +1    3
3 Sarzonia                  1   0   0   0   1    0   1  −1    0
4 Vangaziland               1   0   0   0   1    3   5  −2    0

Group E
Adyatin 3–0 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Swiaji 1–4 Vilita and Turori

  Group E                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vilita and Turori         1   1   0   0   0    4   1  +3    3
2 Adyatin                   1   1   0   0   0    3   0  +3    3
3 Swiaji                    1   0   0   0   1    1   4  −3    0
4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec   1   0   0   0   1    0   3  −3    0

Group F
Devonta 1–0 Nikaton
Equestria 3–2 HUElavia

  Group F                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Equestria                 1   1   0   0   0    3   2  +1    3
2 Devonta                   1   1   0   0   0    1   0  +1    3
3 HUElavia                  1   0   0   0   1    2   3  −1    0
4 Nikaton                   1   0   0   0   1    0   1  −1    0

Group G
Imperial Joseon 1–5 Ko-oren
Kandonica 1–4 Gyatso-kai

  Group G                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Ko-oren                   1   1   0   0   0    5   1  +4    3
2 Gyatso-kai                1   1   0   0   0    4   1  +3    3
3 Kandonica                 1   0   0   0   1    1   4  −3    0
4 Imperial Joseon           1   0   0   0   1    1   5  −4    0

Group H
St. Saratoga 1–0 Taeshan
La Fiorita 7–3 Reçueçn

  Group H                 Pld   W OTW OTL   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 La Fiorita                1   1   0   0   0    7   3  +4    3
2 St. Saratoga              1   1   0   0   0    1   0  +1    3
3 Taeshan                   1   0   0   0   1    0   1  −1    0
4 Reçueçn                   1   0   0   0   1    3   7  −4    0

by **Fluvannia** » Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:57 pm

DIVISION STREET JOURNAL

Sunday, February 23, 2020

1.50 Mark

FLUVANNIA IN HOCKEY WORLD CUP

KELSSEK -- The 39th World Cup of Hockey kicks off today in the Socialist Commonwealth of Kelssek, and the finest Fluvannia has to offer will be taking to the ice. For what would appear to be the first time, a Federation of Conservative Nations member will participate in one of the highest tournaments the globe has to offer when it comes to our national winter sport. And finally, it looks like there will be someone else for the Bears to butt heads with other than the West Phoenicians. A grand total of 40 nations qualified for this year's event, and Fluvannia will compete in Group C, along with Abanhfleft (ranked #3 after the last tournament), Banija (#12), Terre Septentrionale (#27), and New Moreessia Ban (unranked). Like New Moreessia Ban, the Bears enter the tournament unranked, having not qualified before. The schedule for group play is as follows, with the city hosting each game in parentheses:

Tues., Feb. 25: vs. Banija (Ulyanof)
Thurs., Feb. 27: vs. Abanhfleft (Novonaya)
Sat., Feb. 29: vs. Terra Septentrionale (Latrobe)
Mon., Mar. 2: vs. New Moreessia Ban (Clayquot)

The top two finishers in each of the eight groups will advance to the single-elimination stage, which begins on March 4. The final match and bronze-medal game are scheduled for March 10. One notable difference from the Fluvannia Hockey League is that in this tournament, while a win still nets you three points in the standings, teams tied at the end of regulation each receive a single point -- identical to our own league -- but then play a three-on-three, five-minute, sudden-death overtime. Any games still tied after that move to a shootout, which features three rounds of shooters followed by best-of-one rounds until someone scores when someone else doesn't. The team that wins in overtime or the shootout earns a second point, ensuring that all games are worth three.

Fluvannian National Ice Hockey Team

No.	Name	Position	Hometown	FHL Team
73	Patrick Cleary (C)	Center	Kaukauna	Charlottesville Chargers
13	Chuck O'Doyle	Center	Scottsville	Scottsville Pistons
9	Matt Grabowski (A)	Center	Green Bay	Rochester Tigers
24	David Louis	Center	Oshkosh	Charlottesville Chargers
36	Mark Bradley	Left Wing	Green Bay	Charlottesville Chargers
16	Alberto Barrett	Left Wing	Brighton	Rochester Royals
52	Irving Smith	Left Wing	Omro	Oshkosh Lakers
33	Ritchie Breton	Left Wing	Henrietta	Rochester Tigers
8	David Chekovich	Right Wing	Denmark	Charlottesville Chargers
44	Julio Hamilton	Right Wing	Appleton	Palmyra Cannons
17	Frank Wells	Right Wing	Oshkosh	Harrisonburg Highlanders
13	Austin Stephens	Right Wing	Lake Monticello	Green Bay Tundra
55	Frederick Rice	Defense	Sheboygan	Appleton Bears
77	Kurt Phillips (A)	Defense	Omro	Appleton Bears
28	Harvey Todd	Defense	Palymra	Scottsville Pistons
18	Terry Francis	Defense	Columbia	Harrisonburg Highlanders
47	Bert Cooper	Defense	Fork Union	Charlottesville Chargers
34	Rudy Phelps	Defense	Fond du Lac	Rochester Tigers
40	Teukka Salama	Goaltender	Oconto	Charlottesville Chargers
1	Dale Knight	Goaltender	Palmyra	Rochester Tigers
70	Casey Snyder	Goaltender	Oshkosh	Rochester Royals

Reserve Players: Tyrone Robinson (F), Ron Burgess (F), Elmer Franklin (D), Julius Lynch (G)

Head Coach: Wayne "Butch" Cassidy

About the Hosts: Kelssek is a nation in which many Fluvannians -- especially those from Winnebago and Monroe -- would likely feel quite comfortable in, as the Kelssekian climate is similar to the northern half of our own nation. They may even catch themselves thinking they've returned home, until they take a closer look at the Kelssekian flag. A few words to the wise traveler, however: 1 Kelssek thaler is equal to almost 6 M, so be prepared to spend roughly 200 Marks on a single restaurant meal! Their laws regarding various substances seem to roughly parallel our own, so if you take in a game and have reason to celebrate (and we hope you do!), don't be afraid, but don't get too rowdy -- as self-defense seems to be "frowned upon" by Kelssek law enforcement, you'll need to wait for officials to arrive if things get hairy.

OOC:
Trigram: FLV
Style Modifier: +0.5
I give my opponent permission to decide goalscorers and penalties if they post a recap of the game first, but I request you give me a heads up ahead of time if you want to injure or eject anyone.
I'll still probably post a recap either way, I'll just make sure mine conforms to the Fluvannian point of view of the same events if you post first.

by **Neu Engollon** » Mon Feb 24, 2020 5:19 am

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 are retired players from both the National Ibex and the NEHL, and are in their fifth year of having the management helm of the Ibex. The Ibex have brought home the Cup the last two years in a row, after so many previous heartbreaking runs for it over the years. They are determined to keep it in its case of honor in Albertsville for another year.

by **Adyatin** » Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:04 am

Adyatin locker room, Laineá Arena, Alavaria, Kelssek

Twenty-two very manly men getting naked in front of each other before strapping hard things over their crotch may conjure interesting images, hidden in some remote corner of the internet, to some. To those in the room, none of those thoughts would have come up, and if they did, as residents of a fiercely nationalist and religious monarchy they would make sure not to show them. To them, it was their life: Getting ready for an ice hockey game. The sport was their window to the world, and for a moment, the Adyati national team worked in unison as they prepared themselves for their opening match. Their assistant coaches walked around the room, occasionally giving a player some last instructions or a good-hearted inspirational piece of advice. Then, the tense and self-focused atmosphere was interrupted by a door being thrown open and a man in the green-and-gold Adyati military parade uniform entered.

“MEN!”, bellowed the voice of Lew Turganov, the Political Officer of the Adyati national ice hockey team. “A few notes from me, and from home. We’re here for our country, for God and King!”, he shouted. Turganov always shouted. He was a soldier through and through, with a short army haircut and an immaculate shave on his weathered face. Nobody in the team had ever seen him without a uniform, or even with a uniform that was not in absolutely perfect order. Whenever he talked, he talked loud, and his sentences had a tendency to snap at the end, so that even his greetings sound like he was ordering you to have a good morning. Now, he was here to inspire some patriotic fervor in his men.

“You are the faces of Adyatin. Last time, you did alright, and we were happy. But this time around we want more! We are here to beat those heathens, and show the world the superiority of our nation. We! Are! Adyatin! Now go and show them what you can do. I have a note from the Minister of Sports and Defence General Zabruyev”, he says as he unfolds a paper: “Men of Adyatin! It is a pleasure to say that you are the representants of our nation, united and strong, just like your team shall be. On the ice, we trust you to defend our honour, glory, and pride with everything that you do. Do not give up easily, for the pride of King, Country, and Fatherland rests on your shoulders. Do not let the enemies get you down. Whatever they do to us, we return twofold. If we shall meet the Savojars, we expect you to crush them. I, and with me our glorious nation, have pride in your strength and your skill. Long Live Adyatin! For King and Country!”

The faces of most of the players were more confused than enthusiastic, not because they didn’t share Turganov’s patriotism (this was still Adyatin, after all) but because they all found the stormy approach of the Captain a bit weird. The awkward silence was broken by someone that could be both described as the twin or the polar opposite of Lew Turganov. Adyatin’s coach Yauheni Paravich was slim, and his medium height made him seem like a dwarf in this locker room of giants, but his face had the nose and the cold, hard eyes of a hawk. He was a quiet fellow, never raising his voice to the levels of a Turganov, but when it came to the ice, he demanded every bit the militaristic, absolute discipline of the Political Officer. Paravich had an almost obsessive approach to hockey, devising elaborate training methods to ensure that his team would be ready for any opponent and demanding absolute submission by every single player to the team’s cause, but he was also of the opinion that on the ice, his men knew best and should be given the freedom to play hockey. In return, he had the blind trust of Adyatin’s side.

As Yauheni Paravich drew out the tactics and explained what the team had to expect from the Quebec side opposite them, assistant coach Oleg Metrov walked around the room with a jug and a tower of plastic cups, handing them out to the players. “Secret mixture, get your juice”, he whispered as he passed. The players flinched at the thought of Metrov’s juice, a bitter affair that he claimed to follow an ancient recipe from the monastic kitchens of old Adyatin. Most players suspected it was bullshit, but they still drank the mixture that made them shudder. Finally, the time had come. They laced up their skates and walked out of the room, following their general Paravich into battle. Metrov filed in at the end, making sure nobody left the line, and Turganov followed them like a shadow. Like that, they lined up next to the Royal Kingdom of Quebec’s side. “You’ll go down!”, captain Aleksei Hautarovich hissed to the man next to him, the Quebecois captain, who wouldn’t understand a word of the defender’s fast and hissy Russian. But it surely sounded quite impressive. The light went down, and under the thunderous applause of the public, it was time to enter the arena. Time for battle.

by **Bolgano** » Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:27 am

Qasden 0-1 Bolgano
Bolgano gets unexpected victory over the Cats

Breton, Kelssek
In the second game of the day in Breton, Bolgano and Qasden faced each other for the first time in their history, Qasden was the favorite despite not having published their list, even so they had a lot of pressure on the game, just beginning the first third we witnessed several attempts to open the scoring but we managed to defend what was possible, our line of 3 defenders, Viskolov, Friutin and Gutierrez showed why they were summoned to represent Bolgano, the first attacks of Bolgano were easy to defend for the Cats, despite the attempts of both the first third remained with a score of 0 for both, in the second third Calsem finally made his first stop after a shot by an attacker from Qasden, minute 17 of the second third, that was the minute where Alex West managed to score his first goal with the national team, the 20-year-old had a good combination with Giroux to get a smile for his entire nation, literally closing this third there was an e Xplosion of joy for the people, Qasden continued to fail their attempts to score, the teams decided to defend the rest of the game, at the end 1-0 was the scoreboard, before there was a problem, Marseille Soco who entered by Alex West so that this last rest, he had a fight against the Qasden goalkeeper, although they lasted a few seconds the referees had to separate them after removing the gloves and helmets, they calmed down and the rest of the game was little for Soco, a historic victory of Bolgano leaves them second In group, next week Bolgano will have a bye where they will have to take advantage of that time to prepare enough before their next game against Cassadaigua.

Goalscore
Alex West '47

Vdara 1–5 Cassadaigua
Qasden 0–1 Bolgano

  Group B                 Pld   W    D   L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua               1   1   0   0   0    5   1  +4    3
2 Bolgano                   1   1   0   0   0    1   0  +1    3
3 Qasden                    1   0   0   0   1    0   1  −1    0
4 Vdara                     1   0   0   0   1    1   5  −4    0

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