Note: Most information from the IIHF website.
Standings
|
Team
|
Win
|
OT/SO Win
|
OT/SO Loss
|
Loss
|
Points
|
Goal Difference
|
|
Croatia
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
15
|
+19
|
|
Belgium
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
9
|
+2
|
|
Iceland
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
0
|
|
Australia
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
|
Serbia
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
6
|
-7
|
|
Spain
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
-14
|
Results
April 14
Belgium 4 - Iceland 1
Croatia 3 - Australia 1
Spain 3 - Serbia 4
April 15
Australia 2 - Iceland 3 (SO)
Serbia 0 - Belgium 4
Spain 2 - Croatia 6
April 17
Australia 3 - Serbia 5
Spain 3 - Belgium 6
Croatia 6 - Iceland 1
April 19
Iceland 6 - Spain 3
Belgium 1 - Australia 3
Serbia 4 - Croatia 6
April 20
Australia 4 - Spain 1
Iceland 5 - Serbia 1
Croatia 6 - Belgium 0
Recap
Croatia: As pointed to above, Croatia didn't have much trouble in this tournament. In the first game, Croatia did need two powerplay goals to beat Australia. Against Spain, a 4-goal first period let the Croats coast through the rest of the game. Croatia couldn't get much past Iceland until the third period, exploding for 5 goals in the 6-1 win. The always intense Croatia-Serbia matchup saw Croatia take a 2-0 lead in the first, and end up being the difference maker as both teams tied each other in the remaining two periods. In the last game, Croatia had no problem shutting out Belgium. Croatia finished first and finally broke through to Division I for the first time since 2010.
Belgium: After being promoted to Group A last year, Belgium kept on rolling. An easy win against Iceland was followed up by a 4-0 shutout against Serbia, were Belgium goalie Bjorn Steijlen stopped all 30 shots he faced. While the 6-3 win against Spain was good, all three goals against Belgium happened in the third, which was their downfall in the remaining games. After exchanging a goal each in the third, Belgium could not get anything past Australia after being scored on twice. Much of the same for Belgium in the last game, as they couldn't hold on in the third to lessen the damage Croatia did in their (Croatia's) shutout. Belgium finished second and will hope to keep up this performance for future tournaments.
Iceland: Iceland's performance improved from last year when they were the host. They started off the tournament losing to Belgium. Iceland rebounded against Australia, winning in the game in the fourth round of the shootout. Iceland's last lost was against Croatia, allowing the Croats to have a 5-goal third period before breaking the shutout in the final two minutes. Against Spain, Iceland had a third period explosion of their own, potting 4 goals in the 6-3 win. Iceland finished off the tournament win an easy 5-1 win against Serbia. Iceland ends up third in this year's tournament.
Australia: The beginning of this tournament didn't start off well for Australia. Two penalties allowed Croatia to take the lead and hold on against the Aussies. Against Iceland, Australia did keep the game close, had a late goal to tie the game, but couldn't score in the shootout. Things didn't get better against Serbia, as a 3-goal second period by the Serbs was too much for Australia to dig out of. The Aussies finally got on the winning track against Belgium, as Darren Corstens scored two goals in the third to lift Australia to the 3-1 win. Australia finished the tournament with a 4-1 win over Spain. Australia ended up fourth, and will be looking to rebound next year.
Serbia: After surviving last year, Serbia showed signs of improvement. They started off the tournament edging by Spain before being shutout by Belgium. A 3-goal second period helped Serbia get past Australia in what was a wild third period, with 38 PIMs between both teams. Serbia held their own against rival Croatia, but two early goals by the Croats were the difference maker in that game. Serbia finished the tournament on a low note, only getting one goal in a 5-1 loss to Iceland. Again, Serbia ends up fifth, but improved from last year's showing.
Spain: Spain fell hard without their number one goalie out of the tournament. A tough loss against Serbia was followed up by a 6-2 drubbing courtesy of Croatia. It didn't get better for the Spaniards, as a 3-goal third period only made the game against Belgium seem close for Spain. Spain did keep it close against Iceland, but could not hold on in the third, allowing Iceland to pot four goals in the loss. Against Australia, Spain could only muster a goal while on a two-man advantage in the 4-1 loss. Spain finishes sixth, resulting in relegation to Group B for next year.
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