Showing Some International Love: 2014 World Championship Division II Group A Preview

Serbia is the host of Division II Group A, and will hope to stop the curse of them hosting the tournament. Estonia was relegated last year and will try to get back to Division I. Israel was just promoted to this group and will hope to stay up this year. Australia, Belgium and Iceland round out the teams fighting for a promotion.

Note: most information from the IIHF website.

World Ranking

28. Estonia
31. Serbia (host)
33. Israel
34. Australia
35. Iceland
36. Belgium

Roster

Australia
Goalies:

Name	Club
Fraser Carson	Melbourne Mustangs
Anthony Kimlin	Whitby Dunlops

Defensemen:

Name	Club
James Byers	Canberra Knights
Todd Graham	Buffalo State College
Joshua Harding	Adelaide Adrenaline
David Kudla	Perth Thunder
Shannon McGregor	Sydney Ice Dogs
Austin McKenzie	Melbourne Ice
Mark Rummukainen	Canberra Knights
Greg Sturrock	Melbourne Ice

Forwards:

Name	Club
William Cliff	Sydney Ice Dogs
Darren Corstens	Adelaide Adrenaline
Adam Geric	Newcastle Northstars
Mitch Humphries	Melbourne Ice
Brendan McDowell	Melbourne Mustangs
Greg Oddy	Adelaide Adrenaline
Thomas Powell	Melbourne Ice
Michael Schlamp	Sydney Bears
Scott Stephenson	Sydney Ice Dogs
Todd Stephenson	Sydney Ice Dogs
Cameron Todd	Sydney Bears
Lliam Webster	Melbourne Ice

Belgium
Goalies:

Name	Club
Jean Cornelis	Liege Bulldogs
Bjorn Steijlen	HYC Herentals

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Ben Boute	IHC Leuven
Jens Engelen	HYC Herentals
Lorenzo Maas	Konig Sborn
Frank Neven	Liege Bulldogs
Jordan Paulus	HYC Herentals
Nils Vroemans	HYC Herentals

Forwards:

Name	Club
Timo Dewin	HYC Herentals
Yente Franssen	HYC Herentals
Don Geerts	Eindhoven Kemphanen
Bryan Kolodziejczyk	Geleen Smoke Eaters
Boris Kolyasnikov	IHC Leuvens
Mitch Morgan	HYC Herentals
Vincent Morgan	HYC Herentals
Niels Oerlemans	Eindhoven Kemphanen
Maxime Pellegrims	IHC Leuven
Dennis Swinnen	Krefelder EV
Ben Torremans	HYC Herentals
Patrick van Noten	Kolner Haie
Ben Vercammen	HYC Herentals

Estonia
Goalies:

Name	Club
Mark Rajevski	Varberg Hockey

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Roman Andrejev	Mississippi Surge
Maksim Anohhin	Narva PSK
Silver Kerna	KooKoo Kouvola
Ken Kuusk	Ujpesti TE
Lauri Lahesalu	Rouen Dragons
Mark Samorukov	Asnieres Castors

Forwards:

Name	Club
Valeri Bobkov	Tallinn Viiking Sport
Artjom Gornostajev	Muik Nykarleby
Anton Jastrebov	Tartu Kalev-Valk
Aleksandr Kuznetsov	Varberg Hockey
Anton Levkovits	Tallinn Viiking Sport
Andrei Makrov	Varberg Hockey
Kevin Parras	KooKoo Kouvala
Robert Rooba	Espoo Blues
Aleksei Sibirtsev	Varberg Hockey
Jaanus Sorokin	HC Valk 494 Tartu
Vassili Titarenko	Tartu Kalev-Valk
Vadim Virjassov	Tallinn Viiking Sport
Mihkel Vorang	HC Panter Tallinn

Iceland
Goalies:

Name	Club
Dennis Hedstrom	Aseda IF
Snorri Sigurbergsson	Bjorninn Reykjavik

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Ulfar Andresson	Bjorninn Reykjavik
Birkir Arnason	Bjorninn Reykjavik
Ingthor Arnason	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Orri Blondal	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Ingolfur Elisson	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Andri Helgason	Bjorninn Reykjavik
Bjorn Jakobsson	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Ingvar Jonsson	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Robert Palsson	Bjorninn Reykjavik

Forwards:

Name	Club
Emil Alengard	Mjolby Hockey
Brynjar Bergmann	Bjorninn Reykjavik
Olafur Bjornsson	Bjorninn Reykjavik
Jon Gislason	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Robin Hedstrom	Aseda IF
Johann Leifsson	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Petur Maack	Skautafelag Akureyrar
Jonas Magnusson	Gladsaxe Bears
Andri Mikaelsson	Aseda IF
Andri Sverrisson	Skautafelag Akureyrar

Israel
Goalies:

Name	Club
Boris Amromin	Haifa Hawks
Avihu Sorotzki	MAC Metulla

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Tal Avneri	Rishon
Evgeni Margoulis	Kfar Saba
Raanan Moscovich	MAC Metulla
Ran Oz	MAC Metulla
Yuval Rosenthal	Banff Hockey Academy
Daniel Spivak	Gwinnett Gladiators

Forwards:

Name	Club
Itay Ben Tov	Maalot
Alon Eizenman	Bat Yam Icebergs
Oren Eizenman	Nippon Paper Cranes
Daniel Erlich	Western Ontario University
Sergei Frenkel	Bat Yam Icebergs
Avishai Geller	Holon
Daniel Golodnizky	Maalot
Evgeni Kniter	MAC Metulla
Marek Lebedev	Hertzeliya Ice Time
Itzhak Levy	Bat Yam Icebergs
Shlomo Levy	Bat Yam Icebergs
Daniel Mazour	Maalot
Eliezer Sherbatov	HK Astana

Serbia
Goalies:

Name	Club
Milan Lukovic	Partizan Belgrade
Arsenije Rankovic	Beostar Belgrade

Defensemen:

Name	Club
Nikola Bibic	Stoney Creek Generals
Marko Brkusanin	Partizan Belgrade
Boris Gabric	Partizan Belgrade
Stefan Ilic	HC Varese
Dragan Komazec	Partizan Belgrade
Mihajlo Korac	Partizan Belgrade
Aleksa Lukovic	Partizan Belgrade
Ugljesa Novakovic	Beostar Belgrade
Robert Sabados	DAB Dunaujvaros

Forwards:

Name	Club
Milos Babic	Vanersborgs HC
Dimitrije Filipovic	Partizan Belgrade
Nemanja Jankovic	Partizan Belgrade
Nikola Kerezovic	Beostar Belgrade
Marko Kovacevic	Partizan Belgrade
Nikola Lazarevic	Valley Junior Warriors
Pavle Ogrizovic	Partizan Belgrade
Nenad Rakovic	Partizan Belgrade
Nemanja Vucurevic	HK Maribor
Andrej Zwick	Ujpesti TE

Schedule

April 9
Iceland - Estonia
Israel - Australia
Belgium - Serbia

April 10
Estonia - Australia
Belgium - Iceland
Serbia - Israel

April 12
Belgium - Israel
Iceland - Australia
Estonia - Serbia

April 14
Australia - Belgium
Israel - Serbia
Serbia - Iceland

April 15
Estonia - Belgium
Iceland - Israel
Australia - Serbia

Predictions

1 (Promotion) - Australia
2 - Estonia
3 - Belgium
4 - Israel
5 - Iceland
6 (Relegation) - Serbia

This might be a two-tier group. Estonia is expected to be the favourite but are missing a few guy due to...um...incidents. I still would like to see Australia climb the rankings, so I have them being promoted. Estonia and Belgium will pose a challenge for the top spot. Israel is another team I want to see do good in this tournament, they have the offense but will need to come together defensively. I'm not sure about Iceland, they don't look like a team that will be promoted or relegated, but they may be closer to the later than the former. Serbia seems like a team on the decline. In the end I have Serbia as the team that gets bumped down a group.