Croatia host the Division II Group A tournament, and will try to find a way to get into Division I after toiling in this tournament for the past two years. Australia was relegated to this group last year, and will look to redeem themselves. Belgium will be in a fight to stay in Group A after being promoted last year.
Note: Most information from the IIHF website.
World Ranking
29. Spain
30. Croatia
31. Serbia
32. Australia
35. Iceland
36. Belgium
Rosters
Australia
Goalies: Anthony Kimlin (Whitby Dunlops), Olivier Martin (Newcastle Northstars)
Defense: Jonathan Bale (Gold Coast Blue Tongues), Kevin Darcy (Marian University Wisconsin), Brian Funes (West Sydney Ice Dogs), Todd Graham (Buffalo State College), Sean Greer (Adelaide Adrenaline), David Huxley (Adelaide Adrenaline), David Kudla (Perth Thunder), Sean Jones (Melbourne Mustangs), Tomas Manco (West Sydney Ice Dogs)
Forwards: William Cliff (West Sydney Ice Dogs), Darren Corstens (Adelaide Adrenaline), Wehebe Darge (Adelaide Adrenaline), Jordan Kyros (Perth Thunder), Thomas Powell (Melbourne Ice), Michael Schlamp (Sydney Bears), Scott Stephenson (West Sydney Ice Dogs), Todd Stephenson (West Sydney Ice Dogs), Cameron Todd (Sydney Beach Rebels), Lliam Webster (Melbourne Ice), Samuel Wilson (Perth Thunder)
Belgium
Goalies: Mike Jansen (HYC Herentals), Bjorn Steijlen (HYC Herentals)
Defense: Niki de Herdt (White Caps Turnhout), Jens Engelen (HYC Herentals), Vadim Gyesbreghs (Dunkerque Corsaires), Lorenzo Maas (Krefelder EV), Jordan Paulus (HYC Herentals), Nils Vroemans (HYC Herentals), Pieter-Jan Wouters (IHC Leuven)
Forwards: Timo Dewin (HYC Herentals), Yente Franssen (HYC Herentals), Don Geerts (HYC Herentals), Bryan Kolodziejczyk (Geleen Smoke Eaters), Dries Leirs (HYC Herentals), Mitch Morgan (HYC Herentals), Vincent Morgan (HYC Herentals), Jan Raekelboom (IHC Leuven), Dries Steijnen (IHC Leuven), Dean Thurura (IHC Leuven), Ben Torremans (HYC Herentals), Ben Vercammen (HYC Herentals), Joep Vercammen (HYC Herentals)
Croatia
Goalies: Tihomir Filipec (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Mate Tomljenovic (HKm Zloven)
Defense: Igor Jacmenjak (KHL Zagreb), Kenneth MacAulay (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Luka Markovic (Dukla Trenic), Nikola Senzel (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Andy Sertich (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Ivan Sijan (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Marko Tadic (Mladost Zagreb)
Forwards: Mislav Blagus (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Ivan Brencun (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Tomislav Cunko (Mladost Zagreb), John Hecimovic (EC Dornbirn), Dominik Kanaet (HKm Zloven), Igor Lazic (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Marko Lovrencic (Mladost Zagreb), Luka Mikulic (KHL Medvescak Zagreb), Tadija Miric (Mladost Zagreb), Michael Novak (Croatia), Joel Prpic (Brantford Blast), Borna Rendulic (HPK Hameenliina), Marko Sakic (KAC Klagenfurt)
Iceland
Goalies: Dennis Hedstrom (Aseda IF), Snorri Sigurbergsson (Bjorninn Reykjavik)
Defense: Ingthor Arnason (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Sigurdur Arnason (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Orri Blondal (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Bjorn Jakobsson (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Ingvar Jonsson (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Tomas Omarsson (Skautafelag Reykjavikur), Robert Palsson (Bjorninn Reykjavik)
Forwards: Emil Alengaard (Vita Hasten Norrkoping), Ulfar Andresson (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Brynjar Bergmann (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Olafur Bjornsson (Bjorninn Reykjavik), Jon Gislason (Amager IC), Robin Hedstrom (Aseda IF), Stefan Hrafnsson (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Johann Leifsson (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Petur Maack (Skautafelag Reykjavikur) Jonas Magnusson (Amager IC), Andri Mikaelsson (Skautafelag Akureyrar), Bjorn Sigurdarson (Hvidovre IK), Egill Thormodsson (Skautafelag Reykjavikur)
Serbia
Goalies: Milan Lukovic (Partizan Belgrade), Arsenije Rankovic (Crvena Zvezda Belgrade)
Defense: Marko Brkusanin (Crvena Zvezda Belgrade), Stefan Ilic (HC Varese), Dragan Komazec (Partizan Belgrade), Mihajlo Korac (Partizan Belgrade), Aleska Lukovic (Partizan Belgrade), Robert Sabados (DAB Dunaujvaros), Filip Trimcevic (Partizan Belgrade)
Forward: Milos Babic (EHC Darmstadt), Viktor Cengeri (NS Stars Novi Sad), Aleksa Despotovic (Vitez Belgrade), Dimitrije Filipovic (Partizan Belgrade), Nemanja Jankovic (Partizan Belgrade), Marko Milovanovic (Partizan Belgrade), Dominik Plavsic (MAC Nepstadion Budapest), Nenad Rakovic (Partizan Belgrade), Srdjan Ristic (Partizan Belgrade), Marko Sretovic (Lund Giants), Nemanja Vucurevic (Bracebridge Phantoms)
Spain
Goalies: Bruno Gonzalez (CH Jaca), Luis Sokolov (CHH Txuri-Urdin)
Defense: Guillermo Betran (CH Jaca), Pol Gonzalez (Port Colborne Pirates), Eduardo Paz (SAD Majadahonda), Adrian Ubieto (CH Jaca), Alejandro Vea (CHH Txuri-Urdin), Jorge Vea (CHH Txuri-Urdin)
Forwards: Salvador Barnola (CG Puigcerda), Adrian Beltran (Bipolo Vitoria-Gasteiz), Oriol Boronat (CG Puigcerda), Alejandro Carbonell (CH Jaca), Javier Garcia-Arias (SAD Majadahonda), Jose Gavilanes (Bipolo Vitoria-Gasteiz), Zigor Martinez (Bipolo Vitoria-Gasteiz), Juan Munoz (Bipolo Vitoria-Gasteiz), Pable Munoz (FC Barcelona), Alejandro Pedraz (SAD Majadahonda), Pablo Puyuelo (CHH Txuri-Urdin), Adrian Sosa (CHH Txuri-Urdin), Oscar Vazquez (SAD Majadahonda)
Schedule
April 14
Belgium vs. Iceland
Croatia vs. Australia
Spain vs. Serbia
April 15
Australia vs. Iceland
Serbia vs. Belgium
Spain vs. Croatia
April 17
Australia vs. Serbia
Spain vs. Belgium
Croatia vs. Iceland
April 19
Iceland vs. Spain
Belgium vs. Australia
Serbia vs. Croatia
April 20
Australia vs. Spain
Iceland vs. Serbia
Croatia vs. Belgium
Prediction
1 (Promoted) - Croatia
2 - Spain
3 - Australia
4 - Iceland
5 - Belgium
6 (Relegated) - Serbia
This has the potential to be a 4-way fight for a promotion. Croatia is coming in with there usually strong team. Spain is always a contender. Australia, while missing a few key pieces, still look to pose a challenge. Iceland has been coming along within the past few years and will be looking to make some noise as a darkhorse for promotion. Belgium and Serbia will likely fight it out to avoid relegation. I can see Serbia slip away since that program looks to be heading in the opposite direction.
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