Ice Hockey 2015 - 2016 Discussion Thread

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Men’s Div. III begins

Six teams, free live stream

The Turkish team in front of its fans at last year’s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III in Izmir.

 

The 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III begins today in Istanbul with six teams competing for promotion to the next level.

South Africa, host Turkey, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Georgia and Bosnia & Herzegovina will play in the six-team round-robin event from 31 March until 6 April. The schedule was adjusted due to the late withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates.

One year ago DPR Korea won the tournament thanks to a 4-3 overtime win against host Turkey, then in Izmir, in front of 2,135 fans and earned promotion. They are replaced by South Africa, which was relegated from the Division II Group B. Last year Turkey won silver and Luxembourg the bronze medals.

All games will be streamed live and for free. Games of the Turkish national team will also be televised by NTV Spor and Sports TV respectively.

It’s the first men’s senior tournament of this year’s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship program. The Division II groups will start on 9 April in Jaca (Spain) and Mexico City (Mexico) followed by the Division I Group B in Zagreb (Croatia) 17-23 April and the Division I Group A in Katowice (Poland) 23-29 April. The top division will start on 6 May with the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship taking place in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Free Livestream Here

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Slovakia relegated.. well done girls !!! congrats to making peoples in your country proud..

Edited March 31, 2016 by hckosice

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Bosnia and Herzegovina with first ever historic win

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Czech Republic - Japan  3-2 (GWS)

 

 

 

 

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Czechs shoot down Japan

Hymlarova plays the heroine

Czech Republic's Alena Polenska #9 celebrates a second period goal against Japan's Nana Fujimoto #1 during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship

 

 

The Czech Republic edged Japan 3-2 in a shootout at McArthur Island Centre to complete their round-robin slate on Thursday. Klara Hymlarova notched the winner

 

It was an epic shootout indeed. Hymlarova’s game-deciding shot was the 15th overall, and she had taken three previous shots, including one goal, beforehand.

The result gave the Czechs an opportunity to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their Women’s Worlds history. It would hold up unless Switzerland beat Sweden in regulation in the last Group B game.

The Japanese, meanwhile, are bound for relegation play, like last year.

Czech goalie Klara Peslarova got the victory versus last year’s Best Goalie, Nana Fujimoto. Final shots on goal favored the Czechs 33-28.

With Katerina Bukolska off for tripping, Japanese captain Chiho Osawa opened the scoring with a power play goal at 4:55.

The Czechs failed to capitalize on three second-period power plays as Japan held on to its lead. Yet Czech captain Alena Polenska stepped up with just 41 seconds left in the middle frame, notching the equalizer on a Denisa Krizova set-up.

Polenska assisted on Aneta Tejralova’s 2-1 goal at 7:48 of the third period. But Japan’s Mika Hori made it 2-2 just over two minutes later.

The Czechs had a golden chance to get the winner in regulation time when they got a 5-on-3 with just 2:20 remaining. In an unusual sequence, Haruna Yoneyama was sent off hooking at the same time as Shoko Ono was sent off for tripping. However, it was nothing doing, and extra time was required.

In 2013, the Czechs finished eighth. Japan has never finished higher than seventh at the Women’s Worlds (2008, 2015).

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United States - Russia  8-0

 

 

 

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Same old song and dance

U.S. hammers Russia to clinch SF bye

USA's Monique Lamoureux #7 scores a first period goal against Russia's Maria Sorokina #33 while Anna Shukina #21 looks on during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship.

 

 

The United States clinched the top seed in Group A and a semi-final berth with a 8-0 pounding of Russia. Monique Lamoureux and Hilary Knight both scored twice.

 

Kendall Coyne, Megan Keller, Shiann Darkangelo, and Anne Pankowski also scored for the Americans. It was another methodical, efficient performance at the Sandman Centre.

Last year, the U.S. hammered Russia 9-2 in round-robin play and 13-1 in the semi-finals. The outclassed Russians have never beaten the U.S. in 11 tries at this tournament.

Looking ahead to the semi-finals, Lamoureux said: "We have two days to prepare. Not sure who we’re going to play yet, but I think we haven’t played our best 60 minutes yet. Our goal is to get better each and every game."

U.S. goalie Nicole Hensley recorded her first tournament shutout as her team earned a 39-16 edge in shots on goal. The U.S. has used all three of its goalies in three straight wins.

"I just got the chills thinking about it," said Coyne of Hensley. "She definitely gave us energy all game long, just looking back at her. I was excited for her. I think everyone was excited for her. First career start, first career win, first career shutout. She did it all!"

Russia will now set its sights on surviving the quarter-finals. It has twice won a medal at this tournament, taking bronze in 2001 and 2013.

At 5:07, the U.S. took a 1-0 lead as Coyne dipsy-doodled past the Russian defence and scored on an in-close shot.

Just 1:22 later, Monique Lamoureux cut down the right side and fooled Russian starter Maria Sorokina with a pretty forehand deke. Russian coach Mikhail Chekhanov had seen enough and yanked Sorokina in favor of back-up Nadezhda Morosva.

It was 3-0 for the Americans at 14:19 when Keller scored with a rising wrister from the top of the right faceoff circle.

The Russians settled down and played a better defensive game in the first half of the second period as the Americans also seemed to compete with a little less urgency.

But in the end, a three-goal lead certainly didn't prove to be "the worst lead in hockey" for the defending World Champions.

At 4:54 of the third, Lamoureux got her second of the night with the man advantage, using a forehand move virtually identical to her first-period tally.

"It wasn’t the same goalie each time, but yeah, I guess if you watched one, you basically saw the other," Lamoureux admitted.

Darkangelo made it 5-0 at 6:19 with her first career Women's Worlds goal, going to the net and converting Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson's pass.

"It’s really exciting," said Darkangelo. "I just drove to the net, and Jocelyne made a beautiful pass over and I tipped it in. It’s easy when you’re playing with talented players who set you up like that."

Halfway through the period, Knight cruised straight down the middle and beat Morozova high to the glove side for a 6-0 edge. She made it 7-0 with her team-leading fifth goal of the tournament at 16:17.

Pankowski rounded out the scoring with another power play marker with 2:46 left, skating unobstructed into the high slot and whipping it home.

"Something we’ve really focused on is getting better every game," said Coyne. "I think we’re definitely doing that. We’re enjoying each other and having fun, and I think that’s what it’s all about."

 

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Sweden - Switzerland  2-1 (GWS)

 

 

 

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Swedes down Swiss

 

Czechs make QF, Switzerland misses out

Sweden's Anna Borgqvist #18 and Switzerland's Sabrina Zollinger #11 battle for the puck while Switzerland's Florence Schelling #41 defends during preliminary round action at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship

 

 

Sweden beat Switzerland 2-1 in a shootout to finish Group B undefeated. The Swiss missed the quarter-finals and will face Japan in relegation play

 

Sweden’s quest to win its first medal since 2007’s bronze continues as it prepares for Friday’s quarter-finals. The Swiss needed a regulation win here to move on to the next round, and didn’t get it.

Instead, the Czech Republic will be in the quarter-finals. It’s a great moment for the Czechs, who upset Switzerland 3-1 in the round-robin. They were relegated in their only previous Women’s Worlds appearance in 2013.

Anna Borgqvist, who finished third in tournament scoring last year, got the shootout winner. The Swedes outshot Switzerland 39-22.

The disappointed Swiss will finish seventh or lower for the first time since the 2011 Women’s Worlds (seventh). The last time they were relegated was in 2004.

Switzerland jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Evelina Raselli’s goal at 4:21. But the red-and-white team would run into penalty trouble thereafter, including two bench minors for too many players on the ice.

The Swedes poured it on in the second period, outshooting the Swiss 19-8. Their effort finally bore fruit. At 19:34, Lisa Johansson potted the tying goal on the power play.

In the dying moments of the third period, the Swiss pulled netminder Florence Schelling in a bid to get a three-point regulation win. However, the gambit didn’t pay off, and their medal dreams were over.

Swiss coach Daniela Diaz offered a post-mortem: "We had victory on our stick until the last second. The team struggled with a lot of heart. From this point of view, the defeat is very bitter. Despite an outstanding goalkeeping performance from Florence Schelling, it was not enough. Unfortunately. wie had to kill off many unnecessary penalties, which cannot happen at this level. Now we have to focus on the relegation game against Japan tomorrow. "

 

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Canada - Finland  6-1