Saturday, January 12, 2013

Showing Some International Love: World Junior Championship - Division II Group B

Just because the US won the main tournament doesn't mean the World Juniors are over yet. Division II (Group B) and III need to be completed. Here is a preview for the Division II Group B portion.

Note: Most information from the IIHF website.

Roster

Australia
Goalies: Fraser Carson (Melbourne Mustangs), Liam Minson (Perth Northern Vikings)
Defensemen: Jack Carpenter (Melbourne Mustangs), Sam Cook (Newcastle Northstars), Christopher Fahy (Melbourne Ice), Tim Newmark (New England Mariners), Cameron Rose (Sydney Raptors), Marcus Wong (Melbourne Ice), Jamie Woodman (Banff Bears)
Forwards: Scott Clemie (Sydney Bears), Aaron Dumpleton (Perth Avalanche), Tim Fulton (Canberra Knights), Mitch Humphries (Granite City Lumberjacks), Tyler Kubara (Liverpool Saints), Chris Long (Perth Northern Vikings), Austin McKenzie (Melbourne Ice), Alec Stephenson (Sydney Ice Dogs), Matt Stringer (Melbourne Mustangs), Daniel Szalinski (Melbourne Ice), Cameron Todd (Sydney Beach Rebels)

Belgium
Goalies: Neil Bruyninckx (White Caps Turnhout), Maarten Vanthillo (Phantoms Deume)
Defensemen: Quentin Bollue (IHC Leuven), Sebastien Bollue (Sports Experts Shermont), Paul Cornelis (Liege Bulldogs), Ben Dolfyn (HYC Herentals), Max Mohlin (Vita Hasten Norrkoping), Erik Mondelaers (IHC Leuven), Frank Neven (IHC Leuven)
Forwards: Gijs de Saeger (IHC Leuven), Yoren de Smet (IHC Leuven), Simon Dozin (IHC Leuven), Andy Kolodziejczyk (Geleen Smoke Eaters), Sean McCann-Coppens (Phantoms Deume), Axl Milpas (Phantoms Deume), Anton Op de Beeck (HYC Herentals), Dennis Swinnen (Krefelder EV), Michael van Egdom (IHC Leuven), Bryan Verhaegen (Phantoms Deume), Ruben Vertessen (Phantoms Deume)

Estonia
Goalies: Aleksei Arno (Tallinn Viiking Sport), Keir Vainumae (Panter Purikad Tallinn)
Defensemen: Vitali Labzin (New Jersey Renegades), Konstantin Ljubobratets (Tartu Kalev-Valk), Alexander Maier (Tallinn Viiking Sport), Ragnar-Hindrek Russ (Kohtla-Jarve Viru Sputnik), Martin Terna (Tartu Kalev-Valk), Valeri Zgritsa (Narva PSK)
Forwards: Vladislav Dotskin (Kohtla-Jarve Viru Sputnik), Gennadi Filippov (Moselle Amneville), Artjom Gornostajev (Muik Nykarleby), Stanislav Gruznov (Narva PSK), Anton Gurtovoi (Panter Purikad Tallinn), Pavel Kulakov (Narva PSK), Sander Potisepp (Tartu Kalev-Valk), Mark Punger (Kohtla-Jarve Viru Sputnik), Robert Rooba (Espoo Blues), Mark Taru (Espoo Blues), Michael Tugo (Liepajas Metalurgs)

Iceland
Goalies: Einar Eyland (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Atli Valdimarsson (Bjorninn Reykjavik)
Defensemen: Ingolfur Eliasson (Mjolby Hockey), Kari Gudlaugsson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur), Andri Helgason (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Steindor Ingason (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Daniel Magnusson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur), Sigursteinn Sighvatsson (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Viktor Svavarsson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur)
Forwards: Brynjar Bergmann (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Gunnlaugur Gudmundsson (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Falur Gudnason (Bjorninn Reyjavikur), Kristinn Hermannsson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur), Bjarki Johannesson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur), Johann Leifsson (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Daniel S Magnusson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur), Jon Oskarsson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur), Hafthor Sigrunarson (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Bjorn Sigurdarson (Hvidovre IK), Gudmundur Thorsteinsson (Skautafelag Reyjavikur)

Serbia
Goalies: Jovan Feher (MAC Budapest), Petar Stepanovic (Beostar Belgrade)
Defensemen: Ivan Anic (MAC Budapest), Uglijesa Novakovic (Lower Austria Stars St. Polten), Pavle Podunavac (MAC Budapest), Nikola Stojanovic (Crvena Zvezda Belgrade), Vuk Trajkovic (Beostar Belgrade), Llija Uzelac (Crvena Zvezda Belgrade)
Forwards: Andrija Babic (MAC Budapest), Uros Bjelogrlic (Ujpest Budapest), Vladimir Djakovic (Crvena Zvezda Belgrade), Dimitrije Filipovic (Partizan Belgrade), Ivan Glavonjic (Beostar Belgrade), Nikola Kerezovic (Beostar Belgrade), Nikola Lazarevic (Lower Austria Stars St. Polten), Lazar Lestaric (Tas Belgrade), Petar Novakovic (Lower Austria Stars St. Polten), Petar Ogrizovic (Beostar Belgrade), Sinisa Pajic (MAC Budapest), Dominik Plavsic (MAC Budapest), Relja Radosavljevic (Ujpest Budapest), Andrej Zwick (Ujpest Budapest)

South Korea
Goalies: Kweonyoung Kim (Sun Duck HS), Yeonseung Lee (Kyung Bok HS)
Defensemen: Seok Jun Cho (Korea University), Woo Tae Hwang (Hanyang University), Jae Ho Kim (Korea University), Taegyum Kim (Yonsei University), Ho Sung Lee (Yonsei University), Jaegyu Lee (Korea University), Kangmo Lee (Kyunghee University), Seung Woo Lee (Korea University)
Forwards: Hansoo Ban (Kwangwoon University), Jinmin Choi (Korea University), Jae Jun Ha (Yonsei University), Mingu Kang (Hanyang University), Junehee Kim (Korea University), Soon Gi Kwon (Yonsei University), Doung Gun Lee (Yonsei University), Kiseon Park (Korea University), Junghyun Park (Yonsei University), Sanghoon Shin (Yonsei University), Sang Won Yoon (Yonsei University), Shinchul Yu (Korea University)

Schedule

January 12
Iceland vs. Belgium
Estonia vs. Australia
Serbia vs. South Korea

January 13
Australia vs. Iceland
South Korea vs. Belgium
Estonia vs. Serbia

January 15
South Korea vs. Australia
Estonia vs. Iceland
Serbia vs. Belgium

January 17
Belgium vs. Estonia
Iceland vs. South Korea
Australia vs. Serbia

January 18
South Korea vs. Estonia
Belgium vs. Australia
Serbia vs. Iceland

Notables
  • Australia seems to be building a good defense. Get it? Carpenter, Woodman...I'll show myself out now.
  • It's a pure guess, but it seems like Belgium has a brother pairing on defense.
  • Sun Duck is probably the best name for a high school...ever.
Prediction

1 (Promoted) - Estonia
2 - Serbia
3 - South Korea
4 - Belgium
5 - Australia
6 (Relegated) - Iceland

I say Estonia (who finished second last year) does enough to earn a promotion. Serbia (third last place year) does push for the promotion spot but gets edged out. Newly relegated South Korea might have the skaters to do well, but their goaltending is a bit young, which might hinder them. Belgium and Australia remain status quo from last year. A newly promoted Iceland will need to do something big in order to remain in Division II.

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