IIHF – Czechia shocks hosts

Czechia scored three targets within the second interval and got here away with their first win in opposition to Canada on the World Juniors since 2013 (8 losses), gorgeous the favoured hosts by a 5-2 rating tonight in Halifax. Canada got here into the sport with a 20-2-1 report in opposition to the Czechs in U20 historical past, however that stat meant nothing tonight. The one Czechia win got here in a shootout 9 years in the past, and the gamers had been very properly conscious of the historical past between the groups.

“Sure, that is the primary time [we’ve won in regulation]. It is unreal,” stated captain Stanislav Svozil. “This was simply the primary sport of the event, and we knew we needed to win two video games to qualify [for the playoffs], so that is good. After we received that fifth purpose they usually had solely two, we felt we had been in management. This can be a large three factors for us, however we’ve one other sport tomorrow. Now we have to win once more.”

“They outworked us,” admitted Canadian ahead Brennan Othmann. “You’ll be able to’t take any group frivolously. They’d a great sport, so credit score to them. It is a studying curve. They are saying you win otherwise you study, and tonight it was studying. It is solely Day One; it isn’t the gold-medal sport. Clearly, there’s a number of hype about our group, however on the identical time you need to win, particularly with this superb crowd. Now we’ve to bounce again in two days. It would not damage to undergo a sport like this. Each group does. It is good for us and slightly bit humbling.”

Goalie Thomas Suchanek was wonderful, stopping 36 of 38 photographs, whereas Canada’s starter Benjamin Gaudreau was chased halfway via the second. Connor Bedard had a whopping 11 of Canada’s photographs and scored as soon as.

The opening interval had a little bit of all the things, after which some. Followers received a touch of what was to come back only a few minutes in when Canada’s Adam Fantilli skated behind the Czechia web with the puck and do you know what. He received the puck on his blade and whipped it in entrance, however defender David Spacek noticed the play develop and smacked Fantilli’s stick earlier than the Canadian might do the lacrosse efficiently. 

Czechia thought that they had scored first, at 10:13, however the purpose was shortly waived off for goalie interference, and as a substitute of main 1-0, Gabriel Szturc went to the penalty field. And an costly journey it was. Simply 20 seconds later the house facet did, certainly, get one which counted. Olen Zellweger’s level shot was properly tipped in entrance by captain Shane Wright.

However Canada wasn’t carried out with lacrosse on ice, and a few minutes later Connor Bedard tried the identical transfer from the opposite facet. This time goalie Tomas Suchanek did what he needed to do, transferring his masks and shoulder to the nook of the purpose to make a great–and brave–save. Quickly after, Canada believed it had gone forward 2-0 on a legit rocket of some extent shot by Brandt Clarke. However the Czechs challenged the play and had been rewarded by an offside name, negating the purpose.

After which the Czechs silenced the Canadian crowd with two late targets 35 seconds aside. The primary was a magnificence. Svozil fired a fast go from the nook onto the stick of defender David Spacek, who sped in from the purpose behind Fantilli’s too-casual protection. Spacek, who performed a team-high 22:01, redirected it into the open cage to tie the sport. Moments later, David Moravec’s level shot beat a screened Benjamin Gaudreau, sending the Czechs to the dressing room with an inconceivable 2-1 lead.