Canada Meets Swiss, Czechs Host U.S. On Day One Of Ivan Hlinka
By Radoslav Vavřina, Lead Writer, The Czech List
BŘECLAV, CZE – The waiting is over and the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is just about to begin. The Alcaplast Arena will see two games on Day One as Finns square off with Russia and Czechs host Americans. Over in Piešťany, Slovakia, Team Canada beings their journey by meeting Switzerland.
All action of the Břeclav group starts at 3:30 local time when Finland meets Russia. Last year these two battled in crucial game that was to determine who goes to semifinals and who goes to fight for fifth-place. First period had Russians leading by three, but Suomi would come back in the second only to lose the game, 7-3 the final score. The Finns would end up beating Switzerland in the fifth-place game while Russians would finish fourth. Watch today’s first outing here at eurolivescores.com
At 7 PM local time, a big game will commence as Team USA and Czech Republic clash in a rematch of last year’s Under-18 WJC final. Getting dominated by the U.S. all year long, the Czechs will want to set the tone early and overcome defensive struggles from exhibition game with Canada to finally beat the Americans. Every revenge is sweet, especially after a long waiting, and that’s exactly what can provide Czechs the motivation to play a perfect game and beat the United States. Watch the game live here at eurolivescores.com
Meanwhile in Slovakia…
…action begins even sooner than in Břeclav. Team Canada will call Piešťany its home for this week and the first obstacle en route to defending their gold from last six years will be Switzerland. The up-and-coming program has been looking to make success at the last two Ivan Hlinka tournaments and now they’re closer than ever being put into a relatively easy group. For Canada, however, it will be about pride as they have a chance to prolong the golden streak to seven years. The game will be live here at eurolivescores.com
Slovakia starts their tourney at 5:30 local time and they meet Sweden in a rematch of last year’s seventh-place game. Back then, Tre Kronor rolled over the Slovaks by the score of 11-0. Eurolivescores.com will have the game for you here.
Photo courtesy of Roman Kantor
