Austria’s youngsters have played 19 games at a U20 A World Cup so far, but with a 2-2 win against Ukraine thanks to a brace by Thomas Vanek on 3 January 2004, there has only been one sense of achievement so far. Even without the two 2022 NHL drafts Kasper (No. 8, Detroit Red Wings) and Rohrer (No. 75, Montreal Canadiens), the first win should finally be achieved.
The best chances are in the first game against Germany (Thursday, 4:00 a.m. CEST) and the final match against Switzerland (Monday, 8:00 p.m.). In between, the probably overpowering teams from Sweden (Friday) and defending champions USA (Saturday, both 8 p.m.) are waiting.
“We are very optimistic”
“We are very optimistic. The lads themselves feel that something might be possible against Germany and Switzerland if everything works really well. You can tell the boys want to win a game and get into the quarter-finals. That’s a lofty goal,” said Pinter.
“Germany right at the start of the World Cup is a great story,” said Pinter. “We know they’re favourites, they’re a step ahead of us.” But since their three best strikers Tim Stützle, John-Jason Peterka and Lukas Reichel aren’t there, “they’re still in good shape, but not incredible anymore. If the three were there, the Germans might be playing for a medal.”
The preparatory games also give the Austrians hope. After a 4:2 win against Latvia, they held the 3:6 against the Czech Republic until the 50th minute 3:3. “It was important for the lads to see how well they play when they appear as a compact unit,” said Pinter. In the very short preparation and the tests, he placed a lot of value on defensive behavior and switching, which is a prerequisite for success against the top nations.
No descent possible
Since, like last time, there are no relegated teams, the ÖEHV team will be back in Canada (Halifax and Moncton) at the next U20 A World Cup from December 26, 2022 to January 5, 2023. “It’s nice that we’re there, that we can measure ourselves against the best nations and that you can see how our development is. It’s a great experience for both players and coaches. Since we can’t be relegated, I hope that the boys can play freely,” said the coach.
The World Cup was held at the turn of the year 2020/21 without spectators and without relegation. The World Cup tournament at the turn of the year 2021/22 was canceled after a coronavirus outbreak and will now be made up for from the start.
