Valuable rivals

In Riga, the Poles won with Latvia 5:3 and lost 0:2, and in Maribor they first lost to Slovenia 2:3 on penalties, and in the rematch they won 4 :3 after a series of shots on goal. The Poles also performed very well in the last tests, in Tychy they defeated Węgrów 4: 2 and in Bytom 3: 2.

– I am very satisfied with the conditions offered to us by the Polish Ice Hockey Association. We played against strong and valuable opponents. The players did well against the background of the teams preparing for the elite World Championships – underlines the coach Robert Kalaber.

A team of character

“Winning against opponents like this builds you up. We have shown that we are a team with character – underlines the striker Patrick Wronka. After the test matches, coach Robert Kalaber had a lot to analyze. – Sparring has shown, among other things, that players have to react faster. With a rival on your back you have to play faster – says the coach. “In Nottingham you can win against any opponent, but I don’t look ahead. Now the most important thing for me and my team-mates is Saturday’s opening game against Lithuania,” admitted the striker. Alan Lyszczarczyk.

Use Speed

Which teams will be the Poles’ most dangerous rivals in the fight for the two places rewarded by promotion? – Great Britain and Italy are relegators from the Elite, last year these teams played against powers such as the Czech Republic and Canada. Our team is ready to compete with any rival – says Kalaber. “We will tackle the five concentrated games. In 2019 we had a great chance to get promoted to Division IA and then we lost to Romania. We need to play to the maximum from start to finish, with no downtime, says Wronka, who has played in British competitions for the Belfast Giants in the past. – In the UK, the fans applaud very vigorously, but I hope that many Poles will attend our matches, because many of our compatriots live in England. We will play at Motorpoint Arena, the facility has a large area and we have to use our speed there – adds the national team striker. For the Whites and the Reds, the Nottingham Championship is one of the most important tournaments of the last decades. Poles after 22 years have a chance to be promoted to the top flight. – We want to do it for ourselves, for our families and our fans – the hockey players say in unison.

The main partner of the Polish ice hockey team is Orlen, and the partner of Petralana.

2023 IIHF Division IA Ice Hockey World Championships

April 29 – May 5, 2023

Nottingham, United Kingdom

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

April 29, Saturday

Poland – Lithuania, 6:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m.
Romania-Italy, 6:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.
South Korea – United Kingdom, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

April 30, Sunday

Lithuania-Romania, 7 p.m. 1:30 p.m.
Britain – Poland, time. 5:00 p.m.
Italy-South Korea, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

May 2, Tuesday

Romania-South Korea, 7:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m.
Italy – Poland, time. 5:00 p.m.
UK-Lithuania, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

May 3, Wednesday

South Korea – Poland, time. 1:30 p.m.
Lithuania-Italy, 6:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.
UK-Romania, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

May 5, Friday

Poland – Romania, at 1:30 p.m.
Lithuania-South Korea, 7:00-5:00 p.m.
Italy – Great Britain, 8:30 p.m.

Polish Ice Hockey Association Press Service

sent: April 27, 2023 / photos: PZHL