Showing Some International Love: 2013 Division I Group B Preview

Ukraine host the Division I Group B tournament and will be the favourites to finish first and earn a promotion. The Netherlands are coming off a surprising Olympic qualifying run and will try to keep that momentum going. Estonia will try to stay up after being promoted, and look like they might have a chance to do so.

Note: Most information from the IIHF website.

World Ranking

20. Ukraine
23. Poland
24. Netherlands
25. Lithuania
26. Estonia
27. Romania

Rosters

Estonia
Goalies: Villem-Henrik Koitmaa (Panter Purikad Tallinn), Anton Sizov (Tallinn Viking Sport)
Defense: Anatoli Jakovlev (Tartu Kalev-Valk), Ken Kuus (Odense IK), Aleksandr Ossipov (Varberg Hockey), Maksim Robushkin (Tartu Kalev-Valk), Dmitri Rodin (Hull Stingrays), Filipp Shvarogin (Tallinn Viking Sport), Ilja Urushev (Tallinn Viking Sport)
Forwards: Maksim Borovikov (Tallinn Viking Sport), Maksim Ivanov (Tallinn Viking Sport), Sergei Ivanov (Tallinn Viking Sport), Aleksandr Kuznetsov (Varberg Hockey), Andrei Lukin (Pohti Pyhajarvi), Jevgeni Missenjov (Kapitan Stupino), Sergei Novikov (Tallinn Viking Sport), Jan Rajevski (Varberg Hockey), Robert Rooba (Espoo Blues), Artjom Runjantsev (Tallinn Viking Sport), Aleksei Sibirtsev (Varberg Hockey), Vadim Virjassov (Melbourne Mustangs), Mihkel Vorang (Panter Purikad Tallinn)

Lithuania
Goalies: Mantas Armalis (Mora IK), Nerijus Dauksevicius (Energija Elektrenai)
Defense: Nerijus Alisauskas (Liepajas Metalurgs), Rolandas Aliukonis (Energija Elektrenai), Andrius Kaminskas (Romford Raiders), Arturas Katulis (Berkut Kyiv), Mindaugas Kieras (Slough Jets), Karolis Kubilius (Energija Elektrenai), Petras Nauseda (Energija Elektrenai), Justinas Vezelis (Energija Elektrenai), Tomas Vysniauskas (Energija Elektrenai)
Forwards: Aivaras Bendzius (Ilves Tampere), Daniel Bogdziul (Ilves Tampere), Aimas Fiscevas (Baltica Vilnius), Vytautas Jagelavicius (Energija Elektrenai), Deividas Kazlauskas (Energija Elektrenai), Dovydas Kulevicius (Energija Elektrenai), Sarunas Kuliesius (Energija Elektrenai), Darius Pliskauskas (Slough Jets), Martynas Slikas (Energija Elektrenai), Algimantas Visockas (Energija Elektrenai), Andrejus Zidkovas (Energija Elektrenai)

Netherlands
Goalies: Deniz Mollen (Eindhoven Kemphanen), Martijn Oosterwijk (Friesland Flyers)
Defense: Nick de Jong (HYS The Hague), Wesley Hendriks (Eindhaven Kemphanen), Mike Overweg (Eindhaven Kemphanen), Jurryt Smid (Friesland Flyers), Reinier Staats (Eindhaven Kemphanen), Dax van de Velden (Amsterdam Gs), Heffrey van Iersel (Ruijters Eaters Geleen)
Forwards: Kevin Bruijsten (Friesland Flyers), Mitch Bruijsten (Geleen Smoke Eaters), Tony Demelinne (Friesland Flyers), Diederick Hagemeijer (Tillburg Trappers), Levi Houkes (HYS The Hague), Raphael Joly (HYS The Hague), Steve Mason (Miami Ohio University), Jan-Jaap Natte (HYS The Hague), Marco Postma (HYS The Hague), Ivy van den Heuvel (Tillburg Trappers), Ritchie van Hulten (Tillburg Trappers), Lars van Sloun (Geleen Smoke Eaters), Roland Wurm (HYS The Hague)

Poland
Goalies: Kamil Kosowski (GKS Jastrzebie), Przemyslaw Odrobny (KH Sanok)
Defense: Mateusz Bryk (GKS Jastrzebie), Pawel Dronia (KH Sanok), Rafal Dutka (GKS Tychy), Jerzy Gabrys (Unia Oswiecim), Kamil Gorny (GKS Jastrzebie), Michal Kotlorz (GKS Tychy), Mateusz Rompkowski (GKS Jastrzebie), Patryk Wajda (KH Sanok)
Forwards: Adam Baginski (GKS Tychy), Krystian Dziubinski (KH Sanok), Radoslaw Galant (GKS Tychy), Marcin Kolusz (KH Sanok), Sebastian Kowalowka (Cracovia Krakow), Leszek Laszkiewicz (Cracovia Krakow), Tomasz Malasinski (KH Sanok), Grzegorz Pasiut (GKS Tychy), Marek Strzyzowski (KH Sanok), Maciej Urbanowicz (GKS Jastrzebie), Jakub Witecki (GKS Tychy), Krzysztof Zapala (KH Sanok)

Romania
Goalies: Adrian Catrinoi Cornea (Steaua Bucharest), Gellert Ruczuj (HSC Csikszereda)
Defense: Huba Bors (HSC Csikszereda), Attila Goga (HSC Csikszereda), Endre Kosa (HSC Csikszereda), Istvan Nagy (HSC Csikszereda), Szabolcs Papp (HSC Csikszereda), Yevgeni Pysarenko (Corona Brasov)
Forwards: Zsombor Antal (Corona Brasov), Tihamer Becze (HSC Csikszereda), Botond Flinta (HSC Csikszereda), Roberto Gliga (Tingsryds AIF), Ede Mihaly (HSC Csikszereda), Ervin Moldovan (HSC Csikszereda), Zsolt Molnar (HSC Csikszereda), Zsombor Molnar (HSC Csikszereda), Leonard Pascaru (Steaua Bucharest), Levente Peter (HSC Csikszereda), Magnor Petres (Corona Brasov), Szabolcs Szocs (HSC Csikszereda), Csanad Virag (HSC Csikszereda)

Ukraine
Goalies: Yevgen Napnenko (Donbass Donets'k), Pavlo Yachnyk (Berkut Kyiv)
Defense: Volodymyr Aleksyuk (Donbass Donets'k), Ruslan Borysenko (Kompanion Kyiv), Vitali Lyutkevych (Donbass Donets'k), Denys Petrukhno (Berkut Kyiv), Olexander Pobiedonostsev (Berkut Kyiv), Vasili Polonytsky (Dynamo Kharkiv), Kostyantyn Ryabenko (Dynamo Kharkiv)
Forwards: Roman Blagy (Donbass Donets'k), Artem Bondaryev (Dynamo Kharkiv), Artem Gnidenko (Berkut Kyiv), Maxym Kvitchenko (Donbass Donets'k), Olexander Materukhin (Donbass Donets'k), Andri Mikhnov (Berkut Kyiv), Dymtro Nimenko (Donbass Donets'k), Yuri Petrangovsky (Sokil Kyiv), Oleg Shafarenko (Yunost Minsk), Olexander Toryanyk (Berkut Kyiv), Oleg Tymchenko (Yunost Minsk), Sergi Varlamov (Donbass Donets'k), Viktor Zakharov (Donbass Donets'k)

Schedule

April 14
Netherlands vs. Estonia
Poland vs. Lithuania
Ukraine vs. Romania

April 15
Lithuania vs. Netherlands
Romania vs. Poland
Estonia vs. Ukraine

April 17
Estonia vs. Romania
Poland vs. Netherlands
Ukraine vs. Lithuania

April 18
Poland vs. Estonia
Romania vs. Lithuania
Netherlands vs. Ukraine

April 20
Netherlands vs. Romania
Lithuania vs. Estonia
Ukraine vs. Poland

Prediction

1 (Promoted) - Ukraine
2 - Poland
3 - Netherlands
4 - Estonia
5 - Lithuania
6 (Relegated) - Romania

This seems like Ukraine's tournament to lose. Poland and the Netherlands might put up a fight, but in the end will fall into place at 2 and 3 (respectively). It might be a dog fight to avoid being relegated. I can see newly promoted Estonia be just good enough to hold on and out-perform the other two. Between Lithuania and Romania, I think Lithuania pulls out the win, relegating Romania to Division II. This might be the definition of a two-tier tournament.