14th World Junior Hockey Championship - Everything Thread

[Nova Anglicana]

Nova Anglicana World Junior Hockey Championship Preview

The Young Lions competed in every WJHC from 4-8, never failing to make the quarterfinals. Their official numbers are one championship, two third place finishes, a fourth place finish, and a quarterfinal apperance. This is a new group, composed entirely of university players that will be the new hope of their nation. Head coach Tom Benson, the coach of championship-winning St. Stephen's University, will be the skipper for this competition. Benson favors a mildly defensive style, with an emphasis on possession, good checking, and penalty kills. The team he has recruited looks ideal for it: strong d-men, sturdy but quick forwards, and a top line that are excellent stickhandlers and passers. The weakness this team will have is that there is no true sniper or standout goalscorer. They will make their money through holding on to the puck, probing the defense for weaknesses until it finally collapses. They may not be the most high-ceiling team, but they will be one of the most disciplined.

Schedule (Group E)

MD1: Nova Anglicana vs. Royal Kingdom of Quebec
MD2: Nova Anglicana vs. Northwest Kalactin
MD3: Nova Anglicana vs. Sarzonia


The name that jumps out at you right away in this group is Royal Kingdom of Quebec, who were previously heavily involved in the WJHC and World Cup of Hockey. The Ice Knights will be tough to beat, especially playing them right out of the gate. The other teams are new to the Young Lions: Sarzonia and Northwest Kalactin. Sarzonia is more known for success in two other stick sports, field hockey and lacrosse, but such a formidable sporting nation will almost certainly pose a major challenge. As for Northwest Kalactin, they're the wild card. They could be great, they could be terrible. The Young Lions haven't entered this tournament in several cycles, and the senior team hasn't entered a WCoH for several cycles either. Most teams will be underestimating them, since they haven't tested themselves against top-flight multiversal competition, but they could definitely surprise.

[Banija]

Banija National U20 Men's Ice Hockey Team
Head Coach: Abbas Daba.

The Banijan Hockey Federation, as the national governing body for ice hockey in Banija, is the governing body for this squad.

Players either play professionially in the Greater Banijan Hockey League, or at post-secondary education institutions competing in the Banijan Collegiate Sports Group competition. Players who were on the senior team during WCoH 39 are in orange.

Goalie
Starter: #35 Yakuba Kabbah. Age 20. Plays for Istria City College.
Backup: #50 Alaji Jawara. Age 20. Plays at University of Moravica.
3rd String: #44 Kausu Jassey. Age 19. Plays at Moroni Arts College.

Defenders
Partnership 1
Left Defender- #7 Alan Ceesay. Age 17. Plays for the Giesenau Bearcats in the Teus Major Junior Hockey League(Teusland).
Right Defender- #17 Antou Sene. Age 18. Plays for the St. Jakob Crusaders.

Partnership 2
Left Defender- #19 Buba Colley. Age 18. Plays for the Cascadia Lions.
Right Defender- #18 Badara Kaba. Age 19. Plays for the Goldstaff Cocodragons.

Partnership 3
Left Defender- #13 Fafa Darboe. Age 20. Plays for Istria City College.
Right Defender- #22 Faraba Sillah. Age 19. Plays at Northern Moravica University.

Forwards
Line 1
Center- # 40 Kamara Senghore. Age 20. Plays for the University of Loyola-Istria.
Left Wing- #2 Isa Singh. Age 19. Plays for the Islamic University of Busoga(not part of the BCSG, plays in their own competition in Busoga).
Right Wing- #16 Malick Tiyan. Age 20. Plays for Wild Valley University.

Line 2
Center- #8 Foday Kambi. Age 19. Plays for the University of Moravica.
Left Wing- #5 Jamang Jobe. Age 17. Plays at Louis I. Carnegie High School in Istria, Moravica, Banija.
Right Wing- #4 Jabril Marenah. Age 20. Plays at Northern Moravica University.

Line 3
Center- #13. Suma Kinteh. Age 20. Plays for Moroni Arts College.
Left Wing- #10. Landing Jobateh. Age 19. Plays at Wild Valley University.
Right Wing- #6. Tijan Jawara. Age 20. Plays at Cass Technical High School in Busukuma, National Capitol Region.

Line 4
Center- #1. Jabril Dibba. Age 19. Plays at University of Loyola-Istria.
Left Wing - #33. Bamba Corr. Age 20. Plays for Northern Moravica University.
Right Wing- #14. Kabir Condé. Age 18. Plays at Herzegovina Central High School in Herzegovina City, Moravica.


Group A Schedule
Matchday 1: Banija v. Abanhfleft @ Stelburg Eispalast, Stelburg, Teusland
Matchday 2: Siovanija & Teusland v. Banija @ Stelburg Eispalast, Stelburg, Teusland
Matchday 3: Banija v. Jeckland @ Stelburg Eispalast, Stelburg, Teusland

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Royal Kingdom of Quebec Under-20 National Hockey Team

Basic Facts and Whatnot

Nation Name:Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Short Names:Quebec
Demonyms: Quebecois, Quebecers
Governing Body: Hockey Quebec
Colours: Blue, White and Red
Anthem: Valour and Servitude
Highest Domestic League: Quebec Hockey League
Nicknames: The Ice Knights
Style Modifier: +5

Head Coach: Sir. Alexandre Browne, 54 (Cornwall Cavaliers, WHA)
Assistant Coaches: Benoit J. Goldberg, 35 (Farrer University, QIS-B1G)
Logan Matheson-Yoon, 42 (Prince Eric Giants, WHA)

The starting goaltender of the World Cup 26 champions, Sir. Alex is promoted to coach the Quebecois national junior team for this year's World Junior Hockey Championships in Siovanija and Teusland. No stranger to the Quebecois brand of firewagon hockey that is also well known for the love of physicality (and yes, they blend perfectly in Quebec, whether you like it or not), Sir. Alex is expected to elevate the national team's goal to at least reach the quarterfinals in the World Juniors that is known for its particularly strong class of junior players. For Hockey is a national sport in Quebec, there is a very high expectation to do well and at least in memorable fashion if they are to lose. Browne, who won 5 Prenneau Cups with his hometown Kingston Knights as a player and three Veterans Cup as a manager of Cornwall Cavaliers, knows the deal very well and will do his best to help his players out.

Roster

Player information will be listed in the following manner: position, number, name, biological sex, age, junior club or university.

Goaltenders

#1 - Semyon Vorontsov - 19 - M - 6'1", 210 lb - Iqaluit Jr. Silver Wings (EMJHL)
#34 - Brianne Kigatilik - 18 - F - 6'5", 258 lb - Mount Ester University Lancers (QIS-AUS)
#45 - Kim Kyeong-Hoon - 18 - M - 6'0", 196 lb - Cornwall Cavaliers (WHA)

Traditionally the Quebecois have been known for solid goaltenders, especially remembered for Guy Aronnax-Etienne Park-Alexandre Browne whom have all brought the country many years of glory in the international hockey circuit. Unfortunately, none of the three goaltenders have reached the expectations yet, but they for now seem to have lots of potential under the belt. Among the three, the sole-19 year old Semyon Vorontsov won the job after finishing the first half of the LJNEQ season with QJHL-leading 1.96 GAA and 0.928% saving percentage. An unorthodox goaltender whose remarkable reflexes has led into his drafting at 3rd overall with Labrador City Oilers, he's expected to take the leap to QHL next year. As for the other two, Mark Kigatilik is a hybrid goaltender who uses his size well with Mount Ester, while Kim Kyeong-Hoon is a butterfly goaltender who is probably the goaltender with best positioning in the junior ranks right now.

Forwards and Defencemen

Line 1:

LW - #12 - Michael McKenna - 19 - M - 6'5", 221 lb - Attawapiskat Vikings (CHL) - ALTERNATE CAPTAIN
C - #19 - Alexis Park - 19 - M - 6'3", 220 lb - Masan College (QIS-AUS)
RW - #77 - Hwang Jeong-Hyeon - 18 - F - 5'11", 180 lb - The Islanders (EMJHL)
LD - #2 - Marianne-Luce Cote - 19 - F - 6'0", 205 lb - Labrador State University (QIS-NEC)
RD - #5 - Benoit Starmer-Jodoin - 18 - M - 6'9", 268 lb - Prince Eric Giants (WHA) - CAPTAIN


Line 2:

LW - #14 - Diane Bertrand-Chagnon - 19 - F - 6'3", 210 lb - Universite St. Croix Bleu et Blanc (QIS-RSECQ)
C - #25 - Benoit Joseph - 18 - M - 5'10", 193 lb - Shawinigan Asphodelites (CHL)
RW - #13 - Athanasios Aravossitas - 19 - M - 6'1, 204 lb - London Knights (WHA)
LD - #4 - Henri-Michael Yi - 17 - M - 6'0", 198 lb - Cornwall Cavaliers (CHL)
RD - #8 - Marianne McKay-Harvey - 18 - F - 6'2", 227 lb - Universite d'Abitibi (QIS-RSECQ)- ALTERNATE CAPTAIN


Line 3:

LW - #17 - Rachel Langhammer - 18 - F - 6'0", 197 lb - Quebec City Harfangs (CHL)
C - #10 - Emilia Jensen - 19 - F - 6'5", 249 lb - Gander Jr. Jets (EMJHL)
RW - #15 - Nikolaj Jensen - 18 - M - 6'2", 218 lb - Inverness Screaming Eagles (EMJHL)
LD - #3 - F - Angelise-Leanne Weon - 18 - F - 6'4", 238 lb - Winnipeg Freeze (WHA)
RD - #26 - M - James O'Neill - 19 - M - 5'11", 189 lb - Anticosti Devils (MHL)

Line 4:

LW - #11 - Claire J. Matteau - 19 - F - 6'1", 213 lb - University of St-Gabriel-Richard (QIS-OUA)
C - #9 - Noel Rigaud-Dillio - 19 - M - 6'5", 240 lb - Attawapiskat Vikings (CHL)
RW - #23 - Jessica Lugani - 18 - F - 5'11", 179 lb - Northwestern University (QIS-B1G)
LD/RD - #6 - Jeong Joo-Weon - M - 17 - 6'2", 228 lb - University of Kingston (QIS-OUA)


Special Team Units

PP1: Betrand-Chagnon - Park - Aravossitas | Cote - McKay-Harvey
PP2: Langhammer - Joseph - Hwang | Yi - O'Neill

PK1: McKenna - Joseph | Weon - Starmer-Jodoin
PK2: Jensen - Jensen | Cote - O'Neill

RP Permissions:

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes 
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes, but please TG or contact me on discord.
Godmod Injuries to my Players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: Yes, but please TG or contact me on discord.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Matchday 1

Group A

Siovanija & Teusland 7–0 Jeckland
Banija 5–0 Abanhfleft

  Group A                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Siovanija & Teusland      1   1  0    7   0  +7    3
2 Banija                    1   1  0    5   0  +5    3
3 Abanhfleft                1   0  1    0   5  −5    0
4 Jeckland                  1   0  1    0   7  −7    0

Group B

Fluvannia 0–1 Res Publica Nova Roma
Cassadaigua 9–5 Huelavia

  Group B                   Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                 1   1  0    9   5  +4    3
2 Res Publica Nova Roma       1   1  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Fluvannia                   1   0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Huelavia                    1   0  1    5   9  −4    0

Group C

People Named Harold 3–4 North Quadana
Austrakia 1–3 Donnacona

  Group C                Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Donnacona                1   1  0    3   1  +2    3
2 North Quadana            1   1  0    4   3  +1    3
3 People Named Harold      1   0  1    3   4  −1    0
4 Austrakia                1   0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group D

Neu Engollon 5–4 Trolleborg
Xanneria 1–2 Savojarna

  Group D              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Neu Engollon           1   1  0    5   4  +1    3
2 Savojarna              1   1  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Trolleborg             1   0  1    4   5  −1    0
4 Xanneria               1   0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group E

Sarzonia 2–1 Northwest Kalactin
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 4–6 Nova Anglicana

  Group E                    Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Nova Anglicana               1   1  0    6   4  +2    3
2 Sarzonia                     1   1  0    2   1  +1    3
3 Northwest Kalactin           1   0  1    1   2  −1    0
4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      1   0  1    4   6  −2    0

Group F

Terre Septentrionale 6–2 Flekkefjord
Karambad 3–8 Free Republics

  Group F                 Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Free Republics            1   1  0    8   3  +5    3
2 Terre Septentrionale      1   1  0    6   2  +4    3
3 Flekkefjord               1   0  1    2   6  −4    0
4 Karambad                  1   0  1    3   8  −5    0

[Sarzonia]

Northwest Kalactin's Craig Johnson might as well have had a target painted on his back.

The Kempsey Bolts defenceman boldly predicted that his team would easily dispatch the Sarzonian national Under 20 ice hockey team. Worse yet, Johnson bragged that the Junior Stars would finish last in Group E.

For the most part, Sarzonia stuck to finishing their checks and playing hard nosed hockey. However, after right winger Brett Tanguay, Jr. beat Jason Griffin with a rising shot from the point just over the goaltender's glove with 8.6 seconds left in regulation, the frustration over losing a chance to earn standings points boiled over.

"What'd you say about us finishing last?" fourth line left Winger Quinn Hadley chirped at Johnson.

"Shut the fuck up!" Johnson retorted.

"Make me, Tiny!" Hadley shot back, delivering a brutal hip check as the final horn sounded at Edelweiss Garten. The rest of the Northwest Kalactin bench emptied out over the boards to stick up for Johnson, who was now engaged in a donnybrook with Hadley. The Sarzonian bench also quickly scaled the boards and the two teams exchanged haymakers.

Junior Stars coach Martin Pelleur yelled at his team to stop fighting and head to the dressing room, but soon heard the Kalactanian coach screaming at him. Soon, both bench bosses were jawing at each other in spite of the Banijan referees and linesmen's best efforts to diffuse the situation.

The brawl overshadowed a sterling 30-save effort from Junior Stars goalie Owen Franks, who made two point-blank saves on a three-minute five-on-three power play to keep the score level at 0-0 midway through the second period. Franks had no chance on the fourth shot on the power play, which came just two seconds after the door to the penalty box swung open and defenceman Joel Roessel began to skate back onto the ice.

Right winger Nate Tyson equalised things with time winding down in the second period with a blistering shot from the point 22 seconds after centre Andrew White was sent to the sin bin for hooking.

After the match, only Hadley was willing to talk with the media about the brawl.

"Johnson's a piece of shit," Hadley said. "That little fucker needs to learn to stop his mouth from writing cheques him and his team can't cash."

Pelleur said he was disappointed by his team's allowing itself to be goaded into a fight, saying he wanted the team to beat Northwest Kalactin by finishing its checks and playing sound, fundamental hockey. However, an astute reporter or observer might have noticed a gleam in Pelleur's eyes that would have betrayed his pride in his team for winning the match and earning three points and in its standing up for itself against a haughty opponent.

For Brett, Jr., the black eye he earned for fighting two white and blue-clad opponents at the same time and holding his own was as much a source of pride as his scoring the game winner.

However, the rest of the Junior Stars weren't answering any questions. And Pelleur was quick to focus his attention to a Quebec side that dropped its opener to Nova Anglicana 6-4.

"They're going to be as dangerous as a wounded animal," Pelleur said. "They play an attack-oriented style of hockey and they have a pedigree at this level, so we're going in expecting a challenge."

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Youth 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 lines work with a lot of passing and cycling the puck to find an open lane. The Youth team operates with four full scoring lines, not considering it worth to have a checking formation. It should be noted that fighting is not a part of Savojar hockey culture - it is occasionally done, but always quickly broken off, and dropping gloves is usually penalised with a game misconduct immediately. Hence, Savojars are more likely to shove or get into a group scuffle, and will only retaliate in fist fights if absolutely necessary. Bench-clearing brawls including Savojarna will not occur, as this is something outrageous for Savojar hockey players and fans.

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: +1.5

Coach: Fridtjof Ragnarsson (55)
Assistant coaches: Denis Patrishin (44), Alexander Litmanen (39)
Medical and physio staff: Dr. Pyotr Alexandrov (65), Dr. Valtteri Naumanen (48), Lisa Andersson (37), Kari Litmanen (35)

Savojar National Team
Pos	Nr.	Name                	Age	Club                          	Style
Goalkeepers
GK	1	Joni Karavainen        	20	HK Orjalahti Young Dragons	BFY
GK	20	Kjell Sundholm  	20	Akademisk HK Sjoedrhavn  	HYB
GK	35	Petter Lundqvist       	18	Thorsborgs Technik Akademien	HYB
1st Line
D	45	Juhamatti Sirkulainen	19	Young PT Hovikkära           	DFD
D	12	Jesper Mortensen	20	Sjoedrhavn SHK                 	TWD
LW	7	Boris Aljekhin    	19	SK Torpedo Pawlograd       	PLM
C	14	Roman Kasajev          	19	SK Torpedo Pawlograd       	PLM
RW	10	Mans Fjellvik     	20	HK Rotor Värstjö               	SNP
2nd Line
D	3	Hjalmar Olsson  	20	CASK Thorsborg                 	TWD
D	15	Juri Hövland     	20	Akademien Dynamo           	TWD
LW	19	Mattias Djurbergen	18	Army Academy Team         	PLM
C	24	Ville Kovalainen	20	HK Orjalahti Dragons         	PWF
RW	55	Aleksi Jeramäki 	20	Savojars Vinge Virkaja       	SNP
3rd Line
D	8	Janne Suhonen          	19	Army Academy Team         	OFD
D	21	Alpo Karttanen  	20	Army Academy Team         	DFD
LW	62	Simon Wallgren         	20	HK Rotor Värstjö               	GRN
C	42	Harald Björndalen	20	Kjefla Vulkan            	PWF
RW	18	Sergei Vetrayev 	19	Traktor St. Andrei      	SNP
4th Line
D	5	Lars Holmgren   	19	Sjoedrhavn SHK                 	OFD
D	4	Krister Holgersson	20	Dynamo Sjoedrhavn           	TWD
LW	48	Alexander Ljurov	20	SK Torpedo Pawlograd Youth	SNP
C	26	Eirikur Ingmarsson	19	ESK Storevik Youth            	PWF
RW	13	Ilari Brythén      	18	Young PT Hovikkära           	PWF
Reserves
D	33	Johan Sandqvist        	20	Thorsborgs Technik Akademien	DFD
C	22	Mikko Jalonen   	20	Young PT Hovikkära           	PWF

Goalkeeper order: Sundholm - Karavainen - Lundqvist, unless indicated otherwise.

Special Teams:
PP1: Suhonen, Aljekhin, Kasajev, Fjellvik, Kovalainen
PP2: Mortensen, Jeramäki, Djurbergen, Björndalen, Vetrayev
PK1: Sirkulainen, Mortensen, Kovalainen, Wallgren
PK2: Olsson, Karttanen, Björndalen, Ljurov

Players

Goalkeepers: Sundholm and Karavainen are both goalkeepers that are considered SHS-ready in a few years, but not quite there yet. Sundholm is the calmer of the two, working a lot with positioning and very hard to get out of his zone. He is also more experienced due to playing semiprofessional hockey in a lower league (but against adults) and will start most games. Karavainen plays in the major youth league of the country, and is a much more athletic goalkeeper who will rely a lot on reflexes. He gives away a lot of rebounds, but is good at catching them and deflecting them to corners, so that a lot of his rebounds can be expected to not be as dangerous as they could be. Lundqvist is a prospect and not expected to play much this time, but he is similar to Sundholm in style.

Defencemen
The first pair is a well-developed team of defenders that both play in the youth organisations of SHS teams, with Sirkulainen having some international experience on the youth level as well. Both of them have good positioning and basics on the puck, and Mortensen in particular has a good eye for distribution. Physically, they rate about average, but are capable of dishing out checks. Olsson and Hövland are a pair of balanced defenders with some weaknesses especially in offence, but they are strong in terms of tactics and positioning, and will be hard to pass. Suhonen is a blueliner with a deadly shot, and a cracking check, but he is a bit slow and can't always be relied upon to stand in the right place. His counterpart Karttanen is a defensively oriented rock who will level people, but he is a calm and gentle player off the ice and is hard to provoke. Holmgren has a bit of a reputation as a hothead, and while he won't do a full-on fight (this isn't done much in Savojar hockey culture) he has been known for revenge fouls, and is a very physical player overall. He is also known for daring advances that may or may not play out, and need to be covered by his linemate Holgersson, a speedy and technically adept defender. Finally, Sandqvist is a relatively unspectacular all-rounder whose main characteristic is a very imposing physique.

Forwards
The first line is dominated by Aljekhin and Kasajev, a duo of Pawlograd kids who have grown up together and make up the main attraction of the team. They are fast, have a great understanding of each other, and pass the puck brilliantly. However, neither of them is particularly physical, and with both of them measuring under 180 cm, they can be a bit of an easy victim for a physical defence (assuming said defence gets their hands on them). Their linemate Fjellvik is chosen to even this out a little, and is an imposing player with a very hard and precise shot. In the second line, roles are a bit more assigned. Djurbergen is a speedy skater with good oversight, while his other winger Jeramäki is an incredibly precise sniper. However, they both have deficits in the defensive zone, although they are decent forecheckers. Kovalainen in the middle is a defensively responsible centre who wins a lot of faceoffs and is good at digging out rebounds, but not the most technically advanced player.
The two back lines rely less on speed and more on deep cycling and shots. Simon Wallgren is by far the biggest and heaviest forward of Savojarna and capable of leveling even smaller defenders, making him an important asset around the offensive boards. Björndalen has a similar drive to the goal and can sometimes overdo it, likely to pick up penalties in the slot; Vetrayev, whose sister has been a member of the Olympics 14 women's team, is a winger with a laser-like shot, but relatively few other qualities. The forth line is the closest Savojarna have to a checker line. Ljurov is the line's sniper, but is also known for his defensive qualities and his discipline, making him a PK member. The other two players are relying on speed and physique to get through the zone, with Brithén being a future prospect who has shown amazing basics, but lacks some awareness, and Ingmarsson a solid but somewhat uninspiring centre.

Jerseys



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

[Nova Anglicana]

Young Lions play Ice Knights' game, come away with win

Martin Granger, Staff Reporter

It was a wild night last night at the Edelweiss Garten in Stelberg, Teusland. The Young Lions of Nova Anglicana's U20 hockey team defeated the Ice Knights of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec 6-4 in a back-and-forth game not to head coach Tom Benson's liking. "I'm happy we came away with the win, but we played their game. We got caught up in their pace and it's fortunate for us that they made a couple of mistakes and we capitalized on them."

The first period was played at a rollicking pace, and saw the Ice Knights take a 2-0 lead on early goals by Michael McKenna and a rebound jammed in by Benoit Starmer-Jodoin. The Young Lions were back on their heels a bit, but a penalty on Athanasios Aravossitas for tripping let them pay five-on-four for a little bit, and a nifty wraparound by Cedric Caldwell cut the deficit in half. With time winding down in the period, Tony Abbott and Joseph Robinson took advantage of the Ice Knights' aggressive positioning and in a two-on-one give-and-go, Abbott potted one to tie the score at two.

The second period was similar, with Ice Knights' early aggression netting them a goal from Diane Bertrand-Chagnon, but a penalty allowing the Young Lions to claw back and tie the score on a goal from speedy right winger Jacques LaFlamme. Then Jesse Ferguson got a little too aggressive with one of his checks and was called for interference, which the Ice Knights capitalized on, as Alexis Park slipped one past a screened Roy for a 4-3 lead. The Young Lions rallied, and Robinson netted his first goal going upper-shelf against Semyon Vorontsov.

The third period made the difference in the game. Going into the period at a 4-4 tie, both teams knew it would be a critical time. The Ice Knights nearly took the lead twice within the first thirty-five seconds in when a shot from McKenna pinged off the piping and Starmer-Jodoin collected the rebound and launched a massive slap shot from near the blue line that Roy just barely got a glove on and melted down. The Young Lions had to play defense for much of the first half of the period as the Ice Knights zipped up and down the ice and launched attacks from seemingly every angle. But by now, they had a handle on the Quebecois tactics, and they weathered the storm without conceding. At 11:38, Nikolaj Jensen hooked Leif Knudsen, who had slipped by him on a breakaway that aggressive teams like the Ice Knights will concede. With the Inverness Screaming Eagles winger in the penalty box, the crowd started to rise up. Amidst Nova Anglicans screaming for a goal, Quebecois shouting to the penalty kill of Vorontsov, McKenna, Joseph, Weon, and Starmer-Jodoin to stand firm, and Siovanijans and Teuslanders picking their sides, the young captain Abbott faced off to the left of Vorontsov in the Ice Knights' zone. Abbott won the face-off, and a tense stand-off occurred.

The Young Lions, probing, passing, trying to find the weak spot, and the Ice Knights, rushing to defend, lashing out with sticks to try to deflect the passes. Then Benoit Joseph gambled. Thinking that Abbott's pass to Robinson was a touch too slow, he charged out of position, hoping to nab the puck and possibly earn a short-handed goal. But he was a touch too slow, and with him out of position, the Quebecois defense was scrambling. Robinson, seeing an onrushing player, slipped the puck around the boards to Caldwell, hanging behind the net. The next few seconds almost occurred in slow motion. Caldwell, moving to meet the puck, Ferguson and Starmer-Jodoin jostling in front of the net, each trying to screen or protect the netminder Vorontsov, Vorontsov sliding to Caldwell's side to prevent the wraparound. Then Caldwell getting the puck on his stick, the whole action occurring on that side of the net, deftly and quickly passing to an open Brendan Bryan as his man left him, a one-timer by Bryan, Vorontsov realizing too late what had happened, his incredible reflexes propelling him to the other side of the net just in time to see the puck just graze the top of his glove, hit the back of the net and see the light and hear the horn sound. In an incredible sequence, the Young Lions had taken a 5-4 lead.

The Ice Knights pressed and pressed for the rest of the period, while the Young Lions could do naught but defend (for the most part). Quebecois head man Sir. Alexandre Browne pulled Vorontsov at 19:03, and now the Young Lions had six devilishly quick Ice Knight attackers to fend off. A ping off the crossbar, a scrum in front of the net as they tried to jam the puck in under Roy's pads, but Roy melted it down. The Ice Knights won the face-off, but yet another rebound made its way onto the stick of LaFlamme. In a moment, he sprinted past the Quebecois lines and almost casually and arrogantly slid the puck into the net for the final margin. There was a brief heated moment between LaFlamme and McKenna after the game, but it was quickly defused by Ferguson and Starmer-Jodoin, who could be seen embracing and chatting after the game. Our two nations have a lot of history, after all, and there's more love to be found than love lost between us.

The Young Lions will now take on Northwest Kalactin, 2-1 losers to Sarzonia in their first game. They are another ultra-attacking team, so Benson's boys had better be prepared. The Sarzonians certainly got into it with the Kalactanians during and after the game, with some choice profanities hurled by Sarzonian winger Quinn Hadley. The Kalactanians lost their cool, which might be expected from a junior hockey team, but one of the things you have to learn in this game is that fourth-liners like Hadley often have a way of getting under their opponents' skin. The Junior Stars' animus towards the Kalactanians stems from comments made by that team and their media about Kalactanian prospects in the WJHC. Apparently Northwest Kalactin was very confident and discounted the Junior Stars, which gave them some extra motivation. I will note that Kalactanian media made no mention of the Young Lions even threatening in the group, so maybe our boys will have something to motivate them too. I don't expect any fights, but the Young Lions came in with something to prove, having been off the world stage for some time, and I think they'll continue to prove their mettle in their next game.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

RSN Hockey
World Juniors Panel

Johan Durheim: What a game we’ve just witnessed here in Stelburg, Siovanija & Teusland opened up their World Junior campaign at home with a 7-0 crushing victory over Jeckland. I’m here with a special World Juniors edition of our RSN Hockey panel, with me are former Ehrenliga players Paul Blecker and Sergei Berezov as well as RSN Hockey insider Georg Muller. Gentleman, what did the Goldhorns do so well tonight?

Sergei Berezov: Well, Johan, it really started with Aleksej Knejz on that top line. The Siovanska Gora Stars forward was everything the Goldhorns needed him to be tonight - he got in front of the net, out-muscled the Jeckland defenders all night, and he came away with a hat-trick to show for it. That’s why he’s going to be the #1 pick this June.

Paul Blecker: I’ve got to agree with Sergei here, Knejz was great - but Evgeni Tomic needs to get some credit in that win as well. That crushing hit on the Jeckland winger he delivered in the first period really set the tone for the game, and he was a force in his own zone when Jeckland threatened. I thought he deserved a goal on that shot that hit the post - but an assist on the first Knejz goal is good enough as well.

Georg Muller: It’s rare that I say this, but I’m actually in agreement with Sergei as well here. Knejz was great - before this tournament, a lot of people called on him to step up and that this tournament could have big implications on his value heading into the draft. One Ehrenliga GM texted me after the hat-trick goal, and said that that performance is exactly why he’s number 1 on pretty much every draft board.

JD: Knejz was exceptional tonight, of course. Max Fichter got a 19-save shutout tonight - it was light work for him, really, the team in front of him was incredible - and he only had to face 4 of what we at the RSN Panel like to call ‘Home Plate Shots.’ Do you think Fichter will get the start against Banija tomorrow night?

PB: I think you have to give it to him, Johan. He didn’t get called on much, but he was solid when he had to be - and they need him to get on a roll, here, I think, and giving him the start tomorrow night is important. If you win tomorrow night, you’re through - don’t need to worry about the Abanhfleft one as much, and you can give (Oto) Klemenc that game. I’d rather not mess with anything in his head in a tournament like this.

SB: Otto Heiskel said when he named the team that the backup goalie would ‘likely get the second game.’ I think you have to give it to Klemenc, you need him to be ready just in case anything happens, and I’d rather him go in tomorrow against Banija, keep his head in the game, and be ready if anything happens with Fichter.

PB: If we win tomorrow, we’re probably through - Abanhfleft don’t look that threatening, they lost 5-0 today. I’d rather not have our starting goalie’s only 2 games going into the playoffs be blowouts-

SB: I don’t know how you can say we’ll blow out Abanhfleft, they’ve got a great program and will definitely be a challenge for us - I think them losing 5-0 today was more about being their first time coming together as a team.

PB: Yes, but if we’re already through by then, it won’t matter - we’ll be resting guys as well-

SB: I think Heiskel’s going to want to go for it, to get as high a seed as possible for the playoffs.

GM: What about giving Fichter all 3 games? I think Heiskel’s got to go with his gut, if Fichter’s your guy then make Fichter your guy. Oto Klemenc is a good goalie, and I think you’ve got to trust in your players - trust in Fichter that he’s your guy, and trust in Klemenc to be ready if you need him.

JD: An interesting suggestion there, Georg. We’re going to finish up now with a few questions from our Quizmaster - it’s time for the Panel Quiz.

GM: Is this necessary?

JD: The Quizmaster has given us 2 questions tonight. First up: which draft-eligible Goldhorn outside the top 5 in scouting ranks can up his value the most at this tournament? Is it A; Darko Pahor, B; Edmund Debevic, C; Drazenko Skrlj, or D; Jaroslav Zevnik. Sergei, let’s start with you.

SB: I think I’m going to have to go with A, Darko Pahor. He’s a strong puck-moving D man, he’s leading the SHL in points by a D man, but he still gets overlooked in a lot of these rankings. He’s going to have a big tournament here, and that could even pull him into the top 5 - playing with Evgeni Tomic won’t hurt, either.

PB: Johan, I’m going to have to go with B, Edmund Debevic. He played a key role in the Goldhorns’ second goal tonight, and it’s that speed that gives him such a huge advantage in zone entries and other situations where the Goldhorns need him to move the puck. He was ranked #8 on Georg’s mid-season rankings, I think scouts are going to be high on him after this tournament.

GM: I would go with Darko Pahor, but I can’t agree with Sergei twice in one show, so I’m going to say D, Jaro Zevnik. Now, he’s not draft eligible this summer - he’s the only 17 year old on the team - but you can tell that he’s an excellent player just watching him. I’ve heard from Ehrenliga scouts who say he’s got some of the best hockey IQ they’ve seen in a player at the SHL level. He had 10:15 of ice time tonight, and I think you’re going to see his role expand as this tournament goes on. I’d put him #1 or 2 for next year already.

JD: Let’s see what else the Quizmaster has for us tonight. Which draft eligible player has the most to lose in this tournament? A; Aleksej Knejz, B; Karel Medved, C; Anton Merkatz, D; Andrija Babic. Let’s start with Paul.

PB: I have to go with B, Karel Medved. He’s projected as the number 2 behind Knejz, and Knejz isn’t going to go down here - but the guys behind Medved, like Pahor and them, they can move up with a good tournament. So Medved’s in a difficult situation. I thought he played well tonight, and that’s what he needs to do - but he isn’t as flashy as some other players, so he won’t stand out as much.

SB: This is a tough one, I’ll have to agree with Paul though and go with Karel Medved. I think he’s going to have a strong tournament - he looked solid tonight, had a few shots that really tested the Jeckland goalie - but overall, it’s like Paul said - he can’t really gain on Aleksej Knejz, but the guys behind him can gain on him, so he’s got nowhere to go but down. Now, I don’t think he will go down - like I said, I’d expect him to have a big game against Banija tomorrow night after a solid performance tonight - but it is possible.

GM: Do I have to answer this? This is a stupid question from the Quizmaster. Scouts aren’t going to completely change their evaluation of a guy based on one tournament: sure, there’s potential to drop a few spots, but it’s not going to turn a 1st rounder into a 3rd rounder. I’ll give you an answer, though and go with D, Andrija Babic. He’s the 7th D-man, so he’s probably going to struggle to get into games - and that means there are 3 other draft eligible guys ahead of him that scouts will have their eyes on instead.

JD: As always, Georg, a big fan of our Quiz. That wraps up this edition of the RSN World Juniors Panel, we’ll be back here after Siovanija & Teusland take on Banija tomorrow night. You can catch that one on RSN 1, 2, 3 and 4, so don’t miss it. Southwestern AO showdown, battle for the #1 position in the group, so it seems right now. World Junior hockey, folks, it doesn’t get any better.

[Donnacona]

DONNACONA 3 x 1 AUSTRAKIA
Lalonde shines as Apple Seeds recover from shaky first period.

HIGHLIGHTS:
FIRST PERIOD:

• 5:13 into the first period Jonathan Talbot went down to block a shot and caught a blaster from Magdalene Jenbach right in his right glove. He skated right off and did not return, doctors are saying he has a fractured metacarpal and should be out for a while.
• 7:51 GOAL! A bad Jérémie Boisvert giveaway sent Elise Brunner off to the races and she put one glove-side high past Lorenzo St-Onge to make it Donnacona 0 x 1 Austrakia.
• 15:19 A sustained bout of pressure from the fourth line is successfully staved off from some timely saves by Eckhart Werzel.

SECOND PERIOD:

• 2:04 A Joaquin Schoenherr hooking penalty on Pierre Kovačević gives Donnacona their first power play.
• 2:39 GOAL! A slapshot from Omar Houde is redirected in front of the net by Pierre-Alexandre Tremblay past Werzel for Donnacona's first goal. Donnacona 1 x 1 Austrakia.
• 6:40 Donnacona are hemmed into their own zone and absorb over a minute of sustained Austrakian zone time, and end up having to dump it out for an icing. They win the ensuing faceoff and clear the zone.
• 12:25 GOAL! An excellent zone entry from Mickaël Pominville gives Donnacona a 3-on-2, and some back and forth with Lalonde ends with the winger at the net and beating Werzel stick-side. Donnacona 2 x 1 Austrakia

THIRD PERIOD:

• 6:38 Lorenzo St-Onge ROBS Roswitha Linzler who is all alone in front of net.
• 7:20 Another tremendous St-Onge save, glove-side grabbing a Joaquin Schoenherr slapshot.
• 18:11 GOAL! A nervy third period for Donnacona gets a little less nervy with the release of a second Logan Lalonde goal, a one-timer set up by Pominville again, a big match for the fourth line. Donnacona 2 x 1 Austrakia

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:
3. ELISE BRUNNER: 1 goal, 2 shots
2. MICKAËL POMINVILLE: 2 assists, 2 shots
1. LOGAN LALONDE: 2 goals, 4 shots

[Northwest Kalactin]

Sportingnews.kalactin.com
“Guys today we will bring you a special on the World Junior Hockey Championships about the top draft prospects but first we must address what happened last night during the game.”

“Yes, we had a large fight between both teams where punches were thrown. The start of the fight was when fourth liner Quinn Hadley had some choice words about what Johnson had said about the team during an interview here a few nights before. Hadley proceeded to hit Johnson with a hip check as the horn sounded, both benches emptied and a brawl broke out between the 2 teams.”

“The Northwest Kalactin Hockey Association has announced a new zero-tolerance policy for any fights or trash talking to other teams before games. They also announced that Johnson would stay in Tuesland but he would be suspended from the rest of the tournament.”

“So now that we got that covered we bring you the top 5 draft prospects in this years NKHL draft which 3 of them play on this years world junior team.”

“1. Scott Morris, LW: Morris is on this years world junior team and is known for is great puck skills, he is smaller though but he is expected to be a number 1 overall pick this year.

2. John Moore, C: John Moore is a very fast skater who lacks a good slap shot but can get around people very well he has good tools for the NKHL

3. Jason Griffin, G: this top rated goalie this year has a very good ability to block shots, it is very hard to score on his glove side.

4. Tom Ramsey, D: this 22 year old, 6-5 defenseman has a great shot and stick handling although he lacks playmaking skills that could be very helpful for a NKHL defenseman.

5. Corey Lamb, C: the 21 year old center from Akers State holds the school record for all time assists and could be very helpful at a top 5 pick.

OOC: If you want to send a player to the NKHL draft PM me on discord or TG me a player by April 30.

[Sarzonia]

Before the World Junior Hockey Championships began, a student of the geopolitical situation involving Sarzonian politics and military affairs would have waxed poetically about the potential for drama between Sarzonia and The Royal Kingdom of Quebec.

After all, the two countries had a run in involving Sarzonian warplanes firing in the direction of Quebecois fighter jets, a lot of shouting between the governments and a severing of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

After the game last night between the Junior Stars and the Kalactanians, one wonders how much the Ice Knights could possibly add to the tension Sarzonia's Under 20 national ice hockey team could possibly face.

After all, th teams combined for 66 penalty minutes and three game misconduct with Sarzonia's Quinn Hadley and Brett Tanguay, Jr. and Northwest Kalactin's Craig Johnson both drawing them. In a statement issued by the Northwest Kalactin Hockey Association, the sport's governing body in that country announced that Johnson would be suspended for the rest of the tournament. In addition, the team was also on notice that a zero-tolerance policy toward fighting or trash talking was also in effect.

Sarzonia coach Martin Pelleur had no comment about the decision by the Kalactanian federation and added that the Incorporated Ice Hockey Federation was "on high alert" after the donnybrook.

"I haven't been given an edict" he said. "I told the team to focus on playing disciplined hockey, particularly on defence." Pelleur dismissed questions about the diplomatic status between Quebec and Sarzonia, saying "those questions are way above my pay grade."

In addition, Pelleur denied rumours that he was suspending Hadley for his role in starting the brawl.

Hadley's role is to get under the skin of opposing players and stick up for his teammates, and that's exactly what he did," Pelleur said. I'm not going to constrain him from doing what he was put on the ice to do."

As for the Ice Knights, assistant coach Brett Tanguay, Sr. said their upcoming opponents' aggressive attack-oriented style of play was of far greater concern than any "superfluous" geopolitical or hockey rivalry.

They typically score goals in bunches," Tanguay, Sr. told assembled media. "We've got to be wary and we've got to pay attention to our man-marking assignments and stay out of the penalty box."

As for shorthanded chances, Sarzonia was 1-for-6 playing man down situations. They were 1-for-5 on the power play. For his part, Tanguay, Jr. was busy focusing on Ice Knights goalie Semyon Voronstov, who will be opposed by Junior Stars netminder Owen Franks.

"Voronstov is an excellent goalie, their opening game against Nova Anglicana notwithstanding," Tanguay, Jr. said. "We're gonna need every little advantage we can get against him."

[Jeckland]

JECKLAND SQUAD FOR WJHC 14

Centers
Brigham Albert (19)
Darrel Whittle (18)
Shawn Adams (20)
Jayce Walters (20)

Left Wingers
Stewart Bennett (20)
Flynn Winslow (19)
Silas Masters (17)
Goodwin Quickley (18)

Right Wingers
Scott Black (19)
Tyrell Derrick (20)
Jo Davison (20)
Milton Murgatroyd (16)

Right Defenseman
Winslow Rennoll (20)
Dre Philips (19)
Reginald Spearing (19)

Left Defensemen
Amery Foster (20)
Harmon Myles (19)
Clayton Wesley (18)

Goalies
Russ Warner (18)
Thomas Aitken (20)

Kits: Green with yellow trim
Style Modifier: 0

[Cassadaigua]

Goal Judge Kept Busy In Opener,
by Allyson Comeau, Concord Heights Times

Good morning everyone, I am happy and honored to have been called up to the major leagues to report on a national team while our feature writer, Chelsea Dufresne, is on another planet for the World Baseball Classic and normal #2 writer Kaitlyn Scoville juggles her time between the Copa Rushmori and covering NSSCRA for a little while. I am here at the Blaukard Centre in Teusland with the opportunity to cover some of our younger hockey talent in the 14th World Junior Hockey Championships. The opening game? Well, that was quite a tale.

The head coach, Madison Gagnon talked about putting together a hockey team where players complementing one another would be critical, and that you could not just put the top leading scorers on the team. Anyone who watched the first game might have thought differently, as there was not much defense being played in what proved to be a 9-5 Cassadaigua win. I tell you, when I first learned that I was going to be assigned this competition, I did not think that I was going to be recapping any final scores like this.

In the first period, Cassadaigua was aggressive with the attack against HUElavia, and scored two goals on their first three shots. First, it was Kelsey Carver, from Crystal Shadrick and Ashley LaPointe at just the :40 second mark of the game, and then, at the 1:59 mark, Stacey Desjardins deflected in a point shot Kaylee Blake to make it 2-0 in our favor. Zack Fournier also notched an assist on the goal. Things settled in for a little while, but midway through the period, HUElavia would tie the game, as Denisov Ivanovich scored at 12:04, and Ladislas Lemoine at 14:43. However, Cassadaigua re-claimed the lead at 17:12, thanks to a Hannah Regan slapper, with Fournier and Desjardins getting the assists. After one, the Fillies led 3-2, and had a 10-7 shots advantage.

The second period started pretty well for the ladies in pink, with the team again pressing the play right from the opening faceoff. This would result in two quick goals once again, with Crystal Shadrick scoring at 1:17, assisted by Kelsey Carver and Tara Pickett, then the defensemen Pickett would score on her next shift, coming at 2:09, assisted by Carver and Ashley LaPointe, making it 5-2 in favor of the Fillies. In allowing five goals on the first 14 shots he faced, Patrice Rochefort was pulled from the goal, and backup Ivan Yakovich was brought in, and Yakovich was sharp right from the start. HUElavia seemed to get a pick up from this goalie change, and would score two goals around the middle of the portion, including Gil Braga at 9:41, and the second of the game for Denisov Ivanovich at 11:15. However, the tide started to turn back in our favor the end of the period as fourth liner Daniel St. Laurent made it 6-4 Fillies, assisted by Tracey Phillips and Stephanie Mullins at 15:52, and then a tough blow for the opponents on the second of the game from Kelsey Carver, assisted by Crystal Shadrick and Deborah Jones at 19:59. With a 7-4 lead after two, this was not how we imagined this game would go, but it was gradually turning in our favor. We held the shots advantage after two, 21-15.

In the final frame, Cassadaigua scored a power play goal at 3:56 to extend the lead to four, with Stacey Desjardins getting her second of the game, assisted by Zack Fournier and Bayley Wilson. Not too long after, Kelsey Carver would complete her hat trick on a one-timer from a Tara Pickett feed at 7:30. Ashley LaPointe also assisted. In total, it was a five point night for Kelsey Carver. HUElavia did get one more back at 13:09, but the damage was done at this point. With the Cassadagan fans chanting “Go for ten!” in the final moments, coach Gagnon instead opted to give the fourth liners more ice time to close the game out. At the final buzzer, the final of 9-5 read on the scoreboard, with the Fillies outshooting HUElavia for the game, 31-22. Cassadaigua was 1-for-2 on the power play, and never needed to kill a penalty. After the result, Gagnon told reporters that, “We need to be better in the middle of this periods. Of course, I am elated with the goals, but since I am the coach it is only natural for me to see the five that went in against us instead of the nine for. We cannot be expected to score at least six goals per game, so we need to tidy up the back. That said, great game by the top line in particular, and Kelsey getting the hat trick and five point night is something she will always cherish. For now, we focus on the next one.”

[Fluvannia]

DIVISION STREET JOURNAL

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

1 Mark

FLUVANNIA U20 TEAM FALLS IN WORLD 'SHIP DEBUT

STELBURG, SIOVANIJA & TEUSLAND -- The Fluvannia national junior hockey team made their World Championship debut Monday night against Res Publica Nova Roma, and the game, ironically enough, resulted in the same score as the first World Cup game for the senior squad. The Nova Roma Eagles beat the Cubs by a score of 1-0 in a game that was back-and-forth from the start. Those familiar with the team know that they're usually a little more offense-minded at this age, but against the run-and-gun style of the Nova Romans, they looked quite the opposite. Luckily, Marshall Wilkerson stood tall -- but so did his counterpart, Eagles netminder Magnus Faustus. Finally, at the 13:42 mark of the second period, the game's lone goal was scored, a 2-on-1 against Miggy Gutierrez with Lucius Justus feeding Marcus Nero.

Next up, tomorrow night, a bout against Cassadaigua, a nation that traditionally fields teams of mixed gender. Their senior team won last month's World Cup, and that's no doubt inspired their younger players to a similar goal here. It must have -- a 9-5 thumping of Huelavia yesterday saw them take an early lead in Group B's standings. Perhaps Fluvannian sports should think about retaining mixed play longer than they currently do, too.

FLUVANNIA NATIONAL UNDER-20 HOCKEY TEAM ("THE CUBS")

Henry Ingram      Andrew Harris      Barry Flowers
Curtis Morris     Bernard Cook       Duane Osborne
Preston Santos    Morris Byrd        Dan Malone
Bryan Wilkins     Roderick Nelson    Irving Dixon

          Clyde Flores      Miggy Gutierrez
          Jeremiah Ellis    Caleb Gill
          Ian Duncan        Johnny Jordan

                Marshall Wilkerson
                Cody Pearson

RESERVES:
Sam Reyes
Reginald Pierce
Joe Steele
Sean Smith

STYLE: +2

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

'So....we lost, son.'

'Yeah dad. And it was a dreadful one too. You normally don't allow three unanswered goals after leading halfway through second period. FUCK YOU VORONTSOV. FUCK YOU. HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME.'

'It's unfortunate for sure. At least for you, Donnacona won and that should probably matter more.'

'Still. Neither of them are like the Knights you showed me on video, RougeTube and all that. The invincibles. The legends. Backbone to the 2026 World Champions!'

'Well, that's not really true. When I was your age, Knights lost three straight game 7s in playoffs, and we used to call for different head coaches' head each and every single time.'

'Still, you got to watch Knights win 4 cups too.'

'Yeah. Those Knights we all miss...you always take them for granted, only to miss them a lot more when they are gone. Do you remember the signatures I once got from the players? Sir Alex, Dave Clark and Johnny Romanchuk..'

'Yeah, you showed it to me back in Christmas.'

'Did I? I'm glad then.'

'So how's the map going? The one you got commissioned by QNR?'

'Well, it's getting there. Not sure if the people back home are gonna like it, but maybe those pesky Montrealers might just give it a thumbs up for once.'

Map

[Banija]

From Herzegovina City to St. Jakob- Why Banijan hockey world anxiously awaits the Juniors match between Banija and Siovanija & Teusland


A Banijan player in their 5-0 win over Abanhfleft

STELBURG, TEUSLAND- The World Junior Hockey Championships are upon us! And the Banijans are here, at the tournament, right in the thick of things. Known colloquially as the 'World Juniors', it is the U20 championship for hockey- but it is generally a tournament that is competitive, and very interesting to watch. Much more than just a traditional youth tournament in this sport- quite a few countries out there consider this much more than a stepping stone, but a trophy worth winning in its own right. And here we are.

This time around, the World Juniors aren't being held all that far from Banija- that's right, they are being held in Teusland. In St. Jakob and in Stelburg. Most unfortunately for the Banijans, they are not being held in St. Jakob, where would be our preferred site for obvious reasons. However, Stelburg is a great city to have games in. And the Banijan traveling support is finally breaking through. It's not that far from St. Jakob, and many hockey fans within the Banijan migrant community have traveled to Stelburg to watch the team take on Abanhfleft.

Of course, the story of Banijan hockey is different. It is generally seen as the unifying sport for Banijan migrant communities around the multiverse- making it exponentially more popular among the diaspora than it is at home. Of course, there is a pretty large Banijan diaspora out there. Banija's hockey league is made up of diaspora communities around the multiverse, with quite a number of strong ones using this, as well as their local Mormon temples, as rallying points.

But the story changed ever so slightly at home. There has generally been very little interest, outside of Moravica, for hockey in Banija. But Dewa Bangè, with his stellar performances in World Cup of Hockey 39, have brought the Banijan Hockey Federation what they've been hoping for- star power. They finally have a marketable star, who is their goaltender, Dewa Bangè. Coming off of a stellar World Cup run, he's able to bring the game to Banija. The longtime St. Jakob Crusaders goaltender will now be going to Olympique de Marianopolis in Donnaconna.

And now, really, for the first time, a hockey tournament is being followed not just by the various Banijan diaspora communities- but at home as well. The Federation has brought their goaltender to all sorts of events, especially in Herzegovina City and Istria, to get people to tune in on radio. Hockey is a sport that really brings people together. And that brings us to St. Jakob. One of Banija's strongest migrant communities, they are strong supporters of the Crusaders in the GBHL, who play locally.

It's a sport that really brings together the Banijan community in the city. Dewa Bangè, who was born and raised in the city, commented on it. "It's a sport that really helped us ingratiate ourselves with locals." He said. "We've got our team that helps this community keep their heritage, like language and faith, but it is a great outreach to local Teuslanders. And look- it means that even rivalries can be developed." And this is true. Alan Ceesay, for example, playing in the TMJHL. The defender he pairs with, Antou Sene, also grew up locally.

It means that these guys see how good hockey truly is in this nation. There are some strong, big hockey nations out there- The Quebecs, the Savojarnas, the Neu Engollons, the Siovanija & Teuslands of the world. That's a standard to hold themselves too. Especially when they are so close to home. Especially when it is home. This match is a great measuring stick for the juniors- how good are they? Can they handle the pressure of a road game in a major tournament? Can they keep up with a team that skilled?

It will be a fun one. But know this- this will be very revealing about how far we've come, and how far we truly have to go, to truly make it in this sport.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Matchday 2

Group A

Jeckland 6–2 Abahnfleft
Siovanija & Teusland 1–0 Banija

Group A                   Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Siovanija & Teusland      2   2  0    8   0  +8    6
2 Banija                    2   1  1    5   1  +4    3
3 Jeckland                  2   1  1    6   9  −3    3
4 Abahnfleft                2   0  2    2  11  −9    0

Group B

Res Publica Nova Roma 1–2 Huelavia
Fluvannia 3–6 Cassadaigua

Group B                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                 2   2  0   15   8  +7    6
2 Huelavia                    2   1  1    7  10  −3    3
3 Res Publica Nova Roma       2   1  1    2   2   0    3
4 Fluvannia                   2   0  2    3   7  −4    0

Group C

North Quadana 0–1 Donnacona
People Named Harold 0–3 Austrakia

Group C                  Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Donnacona                2   2  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Austrakia                2   1  1    4   3  +1    3
3 North Quadana            2   1  1    4   4   0    3
4 People Named Harold      2   0  2    3   7  −4    0

Group D

Trolleborg 2–3 Savojarna
Neu Engollon 5–1 Xanneria

Group D                Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Neu Engollon           2   2  0   10   5  +5    6
2 Savojarna              2   2  0    5   3  +2    6
3 Trolleborg             2   0  2    6   8  −2    0
4 Xanneria               2   0  2    2   7  −5    0

Group E

Northwest Kalactin 5–7 Nova Anglicana
Sarzonia 5–6 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group E                      Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Nova Anglicana               2   2  0   13   9  +4    6
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      2   1  1   10  11  −1    3
3 Sarzonia                     2   1  1    7   7   0    3
4 Northwest Kalactin           2   0  2    6   9  −3    0

Group F

Flekkefjord 4–5 Free Republics
Terre Septentrionale 6–0 Karambad

Group F                   Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Terre Septentrionale      2   2  0   12   2 +10    6
2 Free Republics            2   2  0   13   7  +6    6
3 Flekkefjord               2   0  2    6  11  −5    0
4 Karambad                  2   0  2    3  14 −11    0

[Res Publica Nova Roma]

It was a rather silent return to the locker room for the Eagles. After a good showing in their match against Fluvannia, the Romans struggled against Huelavia strategy. Unlike their more balanced strategy from the first game, the Eagles had appeared more passive in the next. Now the 2-line team was sitting back on their benches, pondering to themselves.

Antonius Culva was on his own in the hall after a pep talk from coaches. He had made a crucial mistake that ultimately led to the team's defeat. However, he has no time to wallow in self-pity, as a reporter came close to him. The woman gave a small smile as a cameraman followed behind.

"Mr. Culva... Could we get some words from you about tonight's match?"

The eighteen-year-old sighed and gave a small nod. "Go ahead."

"Right... So, The Eagles had a rough night tonight... Were there issues going into the match?"

"I think a lot of us are homesick right now. We have spent our time traveling and most of us couldn't bring our families with us. So most of us are demoralized."

"And what about the match tonight? Do you think there's something that needs improvement?"

He gave a nod. "Absolutely. We need to be more aggressive. When you play too defensive, you make mistakes that can be exploited and that's what happened. Right now, we need to push harder. We have to win our next game. And decisively."

"Speaking of your next game. You will be going up against one of the most successful nations in the world of global sports. Does facing off against Cassadaigua make you nervous?"

"Of course it does... But being nervous is a part of human instinct. It gives us a chance to re-evaluate and plan against certain obstacles. Cassadaigua is a nation that lives, breaths, and dies by its success in competition. So we have to be ready for full-on battle. Win or Lose, we must fight with our all."

[Donnacona]

ST-JAKOB- In front of a once again fiercely partisan crowd, Donnacona squeaked out a 1-0 victory over North Quadana in their second group stage game in the 228 World Juniors. Mikkö Möttöla, a potential first pick in the LNH Draft scored from the left circle (his favourite spot on the ice) on a power play at 7:11 in the second period.

It was a tremendous outing for goaltender Lorenzo St-Onge, who recorded his first career World Juniors shutout after making 33 saves, including stonewalling a North Quadana winger who was on his doorstep three times, hacking away. "It felt good to face so many shots, I'm definitely the kind of guy who likes to get action early and often. It's easier to get into a rhythm." said St-Onge, although his coach Louis Periard was not happy at how much work his goaltender got.

"You know, it's hockey. That's how it goes sometimes, but we weren't able to get bodies in front of some of these pucks, we weren't able to get bodies in front of some of their players. We gave up too many shots, it didn't feel organised. I don't know that I want to overreact from one game, but maybe it's time to make a change or two." said Periard.

A game one injury to Jonathan Talbot forced Dany Boivin into the game, and his chemistry with Kazimir Massicotte seemed uneasy, as Boivin loves to jump forward and join rushes. The duo ended the match with a 6/11 shots for/shots against ratio at even strength, the worst of the three defensive pairings.

Coach Periard was also disappointed in how infrequently Donnacona were able to get high danger scoring chances. "We got what, 5 shots in front of the net and we didn't score on any? I'm never going to be upset about getting pucks on net, you gotta get pucks on net in order to score goals, but we also want to put pucks in deep, you know? We didn't put pucks in deep, we were shooting from wherever. It's hard to force mistakes, force penalties by just taking these long-distance shots. The result was ok, and we're through to the next round, but that's something I'll be talking to the boys about."

Louis Periard was off slightly, per Statsquest Donnacona got 7 shots in the danger area in front of the net, nowhere near the frequency that other teams in this tournament like Cassadaigua and Siovanija & Teusland are getting. Donnacona have only scored 4 goals in this tournament, which would be the fewest in group E and is far and away the fewest of all the group leaders. Despite the presence of allegedly elite goal scorers like Mikkö Möttöla, Donnacona are simply not scoring enough, and this may be why.

THREE STARS:
3. MIKKÖ MÖTTÖLA: 1 goal (power play), 3 shots, 4 hits
2. NORTH QUADANA GOALIE: 31 saves
1. LORENZO ST-ONGE: 33 saves, shutout

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Savojar hockey clubs agree to semi-closed professional league

By Petteri Nieminen
The SHS, formerly pride of the Savojar hockey community, has experienced some seriously hard times, with the former champions of International Pawlograd going bankrupt and the entire league dissolving in a flurry of corruption, nepotism, and incompetence that has cost more than one team’s head. The collapse has largely halted professional ice hockey in Savojarna, and many teams were forced into a semi-professional existence, mainly keeping to pay those of foreign descent and a few stars. This has obviously harmed Savojar ice hockey on the international scene as well, and with the recent renaissance of the SFS and an associated popularity of the football team, the Savojar Ice Hockey Association has decided to form a new league. Negotiations to form said league have been difficult due to a multitude of sticking points, but in the end, those wanting more long-term economic security to compete with the dominance of football won out.

The SHFB’s League Commission, in conjunction with the Association of Savojar Ice Hockey Clubs (ASHC) has presented a new proposal that was accepted at a special assembly of both clubs, hopefully giving Savojarna a professional ice hockey league again from this season onwards. The proposal, which needs to be ratified by all clubs and both confederations, suggests a closed league of fourteen teams, largely drawn from the old SHS sides. From the last SHS season, International Pawlograd have ceased to exist for financial reasons. Dynamo St. Andrei were no longer supported by their mother institution Dynamo SK, and have thus faltered as well; Admiral Storevik have likewise been dropped by the Navy in favour of Torpedo Pawlograd. Among the smaller clubs, Hovikkära Skipsmän, Lok Markka, Atom Linder and Chemie Frisks have no longer applied for a licence to the highest league for financial or internal reasons, and Akademisk HK and Spartakus Jarnstad were denied such a licence as they could not produce proof of their economic soundness. Most contention proved the exclusion of Energie Thorsborg, a successful football club, as the league claimed illegal subventions from the footballing sections as a reason to exclude the Thorsborgers.

In the end, the chosen fourteen were twelve former SHS clubs, along with newly founded HK Orjalahti Dragons in the North of Sumanen and the former semi-professional team HK Rotor Värstjö, allied to the football team of the same name. The two sides were chosen partially on economic prospects and partially on presenting a well-developed long-term plan to lead to a sustainable future for pro hockey in those parts of Savojarna, as the SHFB hopes that the establishment of a more solid pro league will lead to a more stable development of the national team as well. Especially youth players are suggested to highly benefit from the continuous high-level training and competition they are expected to receive in the new league.

Play is going to start in in the upcoming autumn, with the league’s 14 teams contesting a quadruple round-robin to form a total schedule of 52 games. The league’s champion will be contested through an eight-team playoff, with all matchups being contested in BO7 series using the home-and-away alternating format that is common in Savojarna. The most contested question thus far was the way of joining the league - decided to be a semi-closed league. New applicants require to be accepted by a majority of the club representatives to be admitted, and then need to earn their spot through a relegation play-off against the lowest placed team of the SFS, unless the SHFB and ASHC agree on an expansion of the SHS.

The other main question was the inclusion of an entry draft, hotly debated between clubs with a large youth department and those without it. In the end, the former won out, citing SHS traditions to ensure youth academies to play the main role in entering the SHS. On many other issues, tradition similarly won out. The new league will retain the old Savojar Hockey Serien label, and continue to use the traditional SHS Trophy in use since 1966, and has also announced that it will pursue a TV deal with STV in order to ensure free broadcasting to Savojar national audiences as well as an online stream abroad for a focal game each Friday and Saturday night.

Xanneria 1-2 Savojarna (0-2, 0-0, 1-0)

Goals: 8’ Aljekhin 0-1 (Kasajev, Sirkulainen); 13’ Kovalainen 0-2 (Jeramäki, Hövland); 59’ 1-2.
Penalties: 3x 2 min Xanneria; 1x 2 min Savojarna
Remarks: Savojarna without Lundqvist, Sandqvist, Jalonen (reserves).

Trolleborg 2-3 Savojarna (1-0, 0-2, 1-1)

Goals: 13’ Houtem 1-0 (Boot); 23’ Kovalainen 1-1 (Fjellvik, Kasajev/Penalty Arbe); 35’ Suhonen 1-2 (Vetrayev); 51’ Severin 2-2 (Rijnders, Flip); 57’ Kasajev 2-3 (Aljekhin).
Penalties: 5x 2 min Trolleborg; 4x 2 min Savojarna
Remarks: Savojarna without Lundqvist, Sandqvist, Jalonen (reserves).

[Sarzonia]

If you thought Martin Pelleur would be fuming about his team's defensive collapse in allowing five unanswered goals in the third period of Sarzonia's 6-5 loss to the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, you haven't seen assistant coach Brett Tanguay, Sr.

Pelleur seemed to push all the right buttons for the first two periods as the Junior Stars built a 5-1 lead heading into the second intermission. The Junior Stars were an unreal three-for-four on the power play with Brett Tanguay, Jr. scoring two of his three goals in man-up situations.

While the team was in the dressing room between the second and third periods, Pelleur saw starting goaltender Owen Franks vomiting and saw his athletic training staff describe his face as peaked.

He decided to send Connor Whalen in to start the third period instead of nominal backup goalie Carter Liut, reasoning that Liut would start a match when Franks couldn't go.

After Whalen conceded four goals in his first six shots, Pelleur knew he had no choice but to send Liut onto the ice. When he saw Whalen skate over with his head hung low, he embraced his young netminder.

"Everyone has rough days," Pelleur told him. "I believe in you. Hang in there."

As for Liut, he saved the next 10 shots, but somehow allowed a goal that nicked off his skate with a minute, 16 seconds left in regulation. He slammed his stick in frustration, but that was far from the worst display.

Tanguay the assistant coach got into a shouting match with Tanguay the player and it nearly came to blows. The next day, both men announced they'd made up for the spat and both chalked it up to the frustration of losing a game they thought they should have won.

They knew the going would be perilous. They were facing Nova Anglicana, the only team in Group E with an unblemished record. Northwest Kalactin were winless and were fighting for their lives against the Ice Knights for a playoff position.

The Junior Stars were, too, and the identity of their starting goalie was going to be anyone's guess.

It was hardly an ideal circumstance for the Junior Stars, but they all rallied around one thought as they prepared to fight for their knockout round chances.

Margaret is a fickle bitch.

[Nova Anglicana]

Young Lions play uptempo again, still winning

Martin Granger, Staff Reporter

After game one at the Edelweiss Garten in Stelberg, Teusland, the Young Lions' head coach Tom Benson wasn't happy. His team had won, yes, but they had been sucked into a vortex of Royal Kingdom of Quebec-style hockey. He vowed that they wouldn't make the same mistakes against Northwest Kalactin. After game two, nothing had changed, and maybe that's a good thing. The Young Lions defeated the Northwest Kalactin junior team 7-5, again playing way too fast for Benson's liking, but coming away with their second win. After the game, I asked Benson how he felt about two up-tempo games and two wins. "We've been far too sloppy, especially that first period. Do I like that we're winning? Of course; wins are always better than losses. But if we keep playing like this, we're going to get exposed. Mark my words, if we don't shape up the defense, we're going to get our butts handed to us by Sarzonia."

The first period was played at a rollicking pace, much more to Northwest Kalactin's liking than Benson's. But every time Northwest Kalactin would take a lead, the Young Lions answered back. The Kalactanian juniors took leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 at 4:23, 10:09, and 16:50, respectively on goals by Eugene Henderson, Stephen Reed, and Roy Lopez. On Henderson and Reed's goals, Billy Thomas was clogging the space in front of the net, taking advantage of Jermaine Roy's documented weakness of being screened. By the time Lopez scored, Cam Ferguson had seen enough of Thomas and cleared him out any chance he could get. As for the Lions, they struck back at 6:11 on a one-timer from Leif Knudsen, took advantage of a penalty on Scott Morris to sneak a shot from Joseph Robinson past Jason Griffin at 13:34, and tied the game on a lovely tic-tac-toe between the first line of Abbott to Robinson to Caldwell.

The second period was more to the Young Lions' pace than the Kalactanians, as Caldwell scored his second goal of the game and third of the tournament on the wraparound play that they have become so good at. At 3:55, the Young Lions led 4-3. They got a little sloppy with the lead, twice conceding penalties, but the hard-nosed Nova Anglican third line of Lawson, Holmes, and Mason was key in killing off each of those man-advantages, with Holmes giving up his body like a d-man to block three shots, and Lawson and Holmes harassing and laying hits when they got the chance. With time winding down, Christophe Goudard picked off a sloppy Kalactanian pass and sprinted the other direction. Faking the last Kalactanian defenseman to the ground to try to block his shot, Goudard laid it off behind him to Jacques LaFlamme, who had an unobstructed chance and slipped it past the goalie for his third goal of the tournament and a 5-3 Young Lions lead.

The third period was almost perfunctory, as the Young Lions took advantage of a Kalactanian penalty to see Brendan Bryan's slap shot hit the back of the net at 2:16 and just four minutes later, Philippe Marchand entered the scoring book for the first time, deflecting a Ryan Mason shot past Griffin. At that point, the Kalactanian head coach had seen enough and pulled Griffin. Juan Campbell came in and saved all ten of his chances for the rest of the period. With a 7-3 lead, the Young Lions played loose, almost too loose, conceding a power-play goal, killing off another penalty, and then conceding another goal at 19:47 when the Kalactanians had gone to six skaters. For all the bluster and the confidence the Kalactanian juniors came into the tournament with, they are now winless, in last place, and all but eliminated from playoff contention. They'd need a victory, a Sarzonia loss, and for the difference between their win and Sarzonia's loss to equal at least four goals. A tall order. One has to think that the loss of top defenseman Craig Johnson hurt them in this game, but those are the vicissitudes one deals with in international tournaments involving seventeen year-olds.

With this win, the Young Lions are 2-0 and lead the group. The Royal Kingdom of Quebec defeated Sarzonia 6-5, putting them both at 1-1. The Lions will play Sarzonia next and, with their victory over the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, are in good shape for a playoff spot. The principal tie-breaker is head-to-head record, so if the Young Lions lose and Quebec loses, the Young Lions will advance in second place behind Sarzonia. IF the Young Lions lose and Quebec wins, then Sarzonia, Nova Anglicana, and Quebec will all be tied at 2-1, with a 1-1 head-to-head record. In that case, goal differential is used. The Young Lions currently have a goal differential of +4, as opposed to RKoQ's -1 and Sarzonia's +0. If they lose to Sarzonia by no more than two goals, they would have a tied goal differential and would advance on goals scored. Of course, if they win (or lose in overtime/shootout), then all of this is academic and the Lions will win the group outright.

Benson has confirmed that Tim Riley will be starting in net for game three against Sarzonia. When asked if it was a reflection on Jermaine Roy's performance or why he wanted to start his backup netminder in a big group stage game, he answered, "This isn't about Jermaine's performance. If we had played better, his goal numbers would look better. We have two excellent goalies on this team. I have every confidence in Tim's ability, and if we do what we are supposed to do on the defensive end, then everything will work out."

This is a critical game for the Young Lions, both in terms of advancement and in terms of playoff seeding. The hosts Siovanija & Teusland, Cassadaigua, Donnacona, Savojarna, Neu Engollon, Terre Septentrionale, and Free Republics, most of them respected hockey nations, are all 2-0, and the later the Lions have to see one of those teams, the better. They can advance with a loss, but why chance it? A win guarantees them first and a top-8 seed. Just win, baby.

[Cassadaigua]

Young Fillies Keep Scoring,
by Allyson Comeau, Concord Heights Times

The second game of the 14th World Junior Hockey Championships is in the books, and young players are off to a fast start, defeating Fluvannia by the score of 6-3, and improving their record to 2-0-0. This gives them sole possession of the group B lead at the moment, though nothing has been officially clinched. If Cassadaigua were to lose to Res Public Nova Roma, then there would be a three way tie at the top. Goal difference would probably play out well for the Fillies in that, but the end result of the final game still makes that uncertain enough. You do not necessarily have to finish in the top two of your group, either, since there are four wild card spots as well. That doesn’t make it quite official yet, either, but they would have to be slaughtered in their final game.

However, making the playoffs is not why we are here. The team has a much more lofty goal then that, and as the senior team is the reigning World Cup of Hockey champion, there is a feel throughout Siovanija and Teusland that Cassadaigua will be one of the better contenders once we advance to knockouts. That is still in question, because the team still is conceding a handful of goals. Only Quebec, and the team we scored nine against, HUElavia, are presently in a top two spot of their group and have allowed more goals then us. Now, there are teams at the bottom of these groups with more goals allowed, but they are in those positions for a reason, The fifteen goals scored by Team Cassadaigua is the most scored by a team in the tournament. This was a team that Madison Gagnon called balanced and not simply consisting of a bunch of goal scorers. However, right now you have to wonder if she was just bluffing, because that is what the results are showing. In fact, though, the top line has been absolutely lighting it up.

Kelsey Carver was not going to be content with just having a five point night in the opener, including a hat trick, and scored the opening goal of the match against Fluvannia at the 3:03 mark. Assists to Crystal Shadrick and Ashley LaPointe. Shadrick, the captain, had one goal and two assists in the opener, and the chemistry she is displaying right now with Carver, in particular, is grabbing the attention of all Cassadagan teams. Carver and Shadrick are each draft eligible for the upcoming CHL draft, and have been seen as the top two prospects in the draft for a while. It’s been a joy seeing them work together. LaPointe is two years away from her draft year. We’ve stated before how there are some players who are already in the CHL, but many of these players are still draft eligible. One of those players already in the CHL, Shannon Eckstrom, scored the second goal of the game, assisted by Kaylee Blake and Sarah Cotter at 9:40 to make it 2-0. Moments later, Ashley LaPointe deflected in a Tara Pickett shot to put the Fillies up by three. Shadrick picked up the secondary assist on the goal scored at 15:33. After one, Cassadaigua held the lead and a 13-6 shots advantage.

Fluvannia came out strong in the second period, and quickly made things interesting and ruining the hopeful feelings of keeping the opponent scoreless for the opening period. Jessica Maris made some good saves initially as the Fillies tried to contain the Cubs, but Andrew Harris changed that at 6:31 with a nifty backhand, making it 3-1. Four minutes later, at 10:44, Barry Flowers scored on the power play, and all of the sudden this game was a nail biter once again. Madison Gagnon used her timeout after the Flowers goal, and it did seem to get the Dagans re-focused on the task at hand. The play began to neutralize, and at 17:21, Hannah Regan’s slapper beat Marshall Wilkerson, making it 4-2. Zack Fournier had the lone assist. That’s where the second period would end. Fluvannia outshot Cassadaigua 14-7 for the period, making shots on goal 20 for each side.

The third started out pretty evenly, and coach Gagnon was pleased just as long as the puck was not going into our net. Midway through, at 10:30, Carver picked up her second goal of the game, and fifth already in the tournament, with Shadrick and Tara Pickett assisting, and then on the very next shift, Stacey Desjardins extended the lead to four, assisted by Zack Fournier and Kaylee Blake while the PA announcer was announcing the fifth goal. The sixth goal was scored at 11:01, and make it 6-2. Curtis Morris got one back at 14:28, but the Fillies did do a pretty good job at keeping the Cubs from getting any closer. Cassadaigua outshot Fluvannia 11-6 in the third, giving a 31-26 edge for the game. Cassadaigua was 0-for-1 on the power play while Fluvannia was 1-for-2.

After the game, Gagnon told reporters, “Kelsey (Carver) and Crystal (Shadrick) are very impressive right now, and in working together. I guess when you go through your own junior program, and knowing you are the top two prospects for the upcoming draft, it’s fun to play with one another instead of against one another. They are both making the most of things right now. Our other lines are producing well too, two more goals by the second line here, and also one from the checking line. So, it is nice to see that even though we are getting a lot of production from the top line, it is also something we are getting throughout our entire lineup. Fifteen goals in two games will do that. We have some holes to fix up defensively, but even there, once we weathered the second period intensity the Cubs had on us for a while, I thought we were pretty good back there, too.” The final opponent from the group stage is Res Public Nova Roma, and knockouts figure to await this team unless there is a massive catastrophe in that game.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

RSN Hockey
World Juniors Panel

Johan Durheim: A tense one tonight here at the Stelburg Eispalast in the World Junior Hockey Championship. The Goldhorns came through in the end, though, 1-0 the win over Banija. That secures their advancement to the Round of 16 in this tournament, and it’s a good win for the national team, they had to grind it out but they got it in the end. I’m here with our RSN hockey panel, former Ehrenliga players Sergei Berezov and Paul Blecker, and RSN Ehrenliga insider Georg Muller. Gentlemen, let’s get started, Paul, what did you make of that one?

Paul Blecker: Well, Johan, I thought it was a character game from the Goldhorns. Banija really came to play tonight, I think you knew going in this was going to be a tough game - they crushed Abanhfleft, and they’ve got some very solid players. And so we had to battle tonight, Johan, and I think that went well.

Sergei Berezov: I’ve got to agree with Paul here, they definitely had to fight for it tonight, and that’s something that will serve the team well in the rest of this tournament. It was a tight game, good defensive performances by both teams really, and it’s one the Goldhorns can be proud of winning.

Georg Muller: You mention the defensive performance Sergei - I’m looking at some of the draft eligible players on the ice out there, Darko Pahor had his best game of the tournament in this one, drew a penalty call and overall was great moving the puck. Not just the ones in blue and gold, either - I’ve heard Antou Sene’s name mentioned a lot by Ehrenliga scouts this week, and he definitely put in a good performance for Banija.

JD: Sene, of course, the 18 year old who plays for the St. Jakob Crusaders - so scouts have been able to get a close look at him all year.

GM: Yeah, Johan, and they like his game. He’s paired up as well with Alan Ceesay who’s spent this year with Giesenau in the TMJHL, he’s a 17 year old who is draft eligible next year.

JD: Max Fichter got the start again for the Goldhorns, making 29 saves in the shutout - he looked good again, guys, do you think he gets the start again against Abanhfleft?

SB: I think you have to go with the hot hand, Johan, and that’s certainly been Fichter so far in this tournament - Siovanija & Teusland are the only team in the World Juniors yet to give up a goal. So Fichter’s clearly on a role, and that’s what you need from your goalie here. I’d let him go again, I wouldn’t risk doing anything that could take away his great form.

PB: I think you have to look at giving Oto Klemenc this one. The Goldhorns are already through, they’ll still be looking for a win but it’s not as high-pressure an atmosphere, and it also gives Fichter a bit of a rest.

GM: If I’m Otto Heiskel, though, I’m looking at what could be a tough Round of 16 matchup depending on how the draw goes - I wouldn’t want to play any team in Group E, that’s definitely been the group of death in this tournament with 4 very solid teams - and I’m thinking that I want Fichter to have as much confidence as possible going into the knockouts.

JD: How about the goal tonight, guys, great skill by Goss to get it up to Evgeni Tomic on the point, and then that slapshot - how do you stop it?

SB: You can’t, Johan, that’s what makes Evgeni Tomic so difficult on that powerplay. If you let him get a one timer, and you give him the space to really tee it up like he got there, you’d better hope you get lucky and he misses the net or something. That guy has a howitzer on the blueline.

GM: He’s an exceptional player - I’ve had scouts tell me that more than one team actually had him #1 on their draft board last year, before Chernovets got him at 4th. He’s another Goldhorn who’s had a great tournament so far.

JD: Alright, gentlemen, I think it’s time for our quiz. The Quizmaster has two questions tonight for us, here’s the first one: Which of the drafted players on this team will make the best Ehrenliga player? Will it be A, Leon Goss; B, Evgeni Tomic, C, Rafael Werner, or D, Max Fichter? Let’s start with Paul.

PB: I think the obvious answer here is A, Leon Goss. Goss is just a dynamic player, you saw his playmaking skill on display out there tonight with that assist, and he’s the type of guy you build your team around. The Marzig Wolves organization are watching this game tonight and smiling knowing he’s going to be on the team next year.

SB: Goss shouldn’t be in this question, cause he’s an obvious pick, so I’ll avoid that and say B, Evgeni Tomic. We just talked about how good that slapshot is, and when you add in his physicality and size? Few guys in the league have that, today, and if your #1 comparable is Koloman Schwarzmann? I think that’s a good sign.

GM: Another lousy question from the Quizmaster, but I’ll agree with Paul and say A, Leon Goss. I don’t think there’s really much of a debate here, he’s got exceptional on-ice vision and like you said, you build teams around players like him.

JD: Alright, and final question: which Goldhorns player has the most to prove still in this tournament? Is it A, Marco Belek; B, Anton Merkatz; C, Konstantin Lehner; or D, Anton Pelko?

SB: This is a tough one, Johan - no one’s really played poorly so far, I’d say, but if I had to pick one, I’d say A, Marco Belek. He’s gotten limited ice time, which was to be expected on the third pair when this team has a very good top 4, and hasn’t really made too much of an impression. He’s not done poorly, but he’s not really given a reason to be moved up in the lineup either.

PB: I’m going to have to go with D, Anton Pelko. I don’t think it’s fair to say anyone has underperformed or anything, but if I’m rating it based on that game out there tonight, Pelko was one who’s got to get something going here to get himself involved. He hasn’t got the chance yet on the powerplay, because the first unit is doing so well, so I’d like to see him maybe get a chance to put that one timer to good use sometime in this tournament.

GM: It’s hard to pick underperforming players when the team is 2-0, and I wouldn’t say anyone has underperformed - but Marco Belek is probably one who hasn’t moved himself up in anyone’s estimation yet either.

JD: It’s a bit harsh to pick on these guys, since they’ve done so well so far, but it’s also important to see who can still grow. That’s it for the RSN panel tonight, though, we’ll be back for full coverage of the final game of the group stage - Siovanija & Teusland vs Abanhfleft, you win and you win the group. Make sure to tune in on RSN 1, 2, 3 and 4 for the final game of the World Junior Hockey Championship group stage.

[Siovanija and Teusland]

Matchday 3

Group A

Banija 3–1 Jeckland
Abanhfleft 3–7 Siovanija & Teusland

Group A                   Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Siovanija & Teusland      3   3  0   15   3 +12    9
2 Banija                    3   2  1    8   2  +6    6
3 Jeckland                  3   1  2    7  12  −5    3
4 Abanhfleft                3   0  3    5  18 −13    0

Group B

Cassadaigua 3–2 Res Publica Nova Roma
Huelavia 3–4 Fluvannia

Group B                     Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Cassadaigua                 3   3  0   18  10  +8    9
2 Res Publica Nova Roma       3   1  2    4   5  −1    3
3 Fluvannia                   3   1  2    7  10  −3    3
4 Huelavia                    3   1  2   10  14  −4    3

Group C

Austrakia 3–1 North Quadana
Donnacona 3–0 People Named Harold

Group C                  Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Donnacona                3   3  0    7   1  +6    9
2 Austrakia                3   2  1    7   4  +3    6
3 North Quadana            3   1  2    5   7  −2    3
4 People Named Harold      3   0  3    3  10  −7    0

Group D

Xanneria 2–6 Trolleborg
Savojarna 8–4 Neu Engollon

Group D                Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Savojarna              3   3  0   13   7  +6    9
2 Neu Engollon           3   2  1   14  13  +1    6
3 Trolleborg             3   1  2   12  10  +2    3
4 Xanneria               3   0  3    4  13  −9    0

Group E

Royal Kingdom of Quebec 1–0 Northwest Kalactin
Nova Anglicana 4–2 Sarzonia

Group E                      Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana               3   3  0   17  11  +6    9
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      3   2  1   11  11   0    6
3 Sarzonia                     3   1  2    9  11  −2    3
4 Northwest Kalactin           3   0  3    6  10  −4    0

Group F

Karambad 1–4 Flekkefjord
Free Republics 3–4 Terre Septentrionale

Group F                   Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Terre Septentrionale      3   3  0   16   5 +11    9
2 Free Republics            3   2  1   16  11  +5    6
3 Flekkefjord               3   1  2   10  12  −2    3
4 Karambad                  3   0  3    4  18 −14    0

Ranking of Qualified Sides

       Country             Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD   Pts  Group Pos
1  Siovanija & Teusland      3   3  0   15   3 +12    9   #1A
2  Terre Septentrionale      3   3  0   16   5 +11    9   #1F
3  Cassadaigua               3   3  0   18  10  +8    9   #1B
4  Nova Anglicana            3   3  0   17  11  +6    9   #1E
5  Savojarna                 3   3  0   13   7  +6    9   #1D
6  Donnacona                 3   3  0    7   1  +6    9   #1C
-----------------------Second Place Teams--------------------------
7  Banija                    3   2  1    8   2  +6    6   #2A
8  Free Republics            3   2  1   16  11  +5    6   #2F
9  Austrakia                 3   2  1    7   4  +3    6   #2C
10 Neu Engollon              3   2  1   14  13  +1    6   #2D
11 Royal Kingdom of Quebec   3   2  1   11  11   0    6   #2E
12 Res Publica Nova Roma     3   1  2    4   5  −1    3   #2B
-------------------------Third Place Teams-------------------------
13 Trolleborg                3   1  2   12  10  +2    3   #3D
14 Flekkefjord               3   1  2   10  12  −2    3   #3F
15 Sarzonia                  3   1  2    9  11  −2    3   #3E
16 North Quadana             3   1  2    5   7  −2    3   #3C
--------------------------Eliminated-------------------------------
17 Fluvannia                 3   1  2    7  10  −3    3   #3B
18 Jeckland                  3   1  2    7  12  −5    3   #3A

Ranked in order of group position, points, goal differential, goals for.

Round of 16 Fixtures

#1 Siovanija & Teusland vs #16 North Quadana
@ Stelburg Eispalast, Stelburg

#2 Terre Septentrionale vs #15 Sarzonia
@ Stelburg Eispalast, Stelburg

#3 Cassadaigua vs #14 Flekkefjord
@ Blaukard Centre, Stelburg

#4 Nova Anglicana vs #13 Trolleborg
@ Edelweiss Garten, Stelburg

#5 Savojarna vs #12 Res Publica Nova Roma
@ St. Jakob Forum, St. Jakob

#6 Donnacona vs #11 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
@ St. Jakob Forum, St. Jakob

#7 Banija vs #10 Neu Engollon
@ Prenzlauer Eispalast, St. Jakob

#8 Free Republics vs #9 Austrakia
@ Arena Johan-Beck, Tarnitz