wow, what a week
we have had more to do in the past few days then most would take on in a month of touring
we have done castles, and churches, and germany and shopping and more churches and castles and food, mu gosh the food... we have walked off about 10 pounds each but added 15 with all the food
the kids are doing great, they are learning a bunch of great stuff on the tours, and getting along well.
we had one small incident where a player got left behind, but a quick uturn on the highway and a frantic search found him where he was at, and all have learned the importance of staying put when lost and the group will come and get you!!!
The kids were kinda not so sure about another castle but when they got inside Zleby castle and saw all the armoury and weapons etc, they came to life... swoards and shields from hundreds of years ago grabbed their attention and held it!
Dresden was great for some while other stayed behnd and went to another soccer match that ended before it started because the visiting team abdoned the game from violence in the crowd etc...
We have been to a pro hockey playoff game here, and a soccer match, and others may try to catch another tomorow.
Lots of learning and fun. Pictures will tell all the stories when they get home.
CHeers!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
more tidbits
We went to terezin today and as always it is a gut wrenching experience. Lots to learn about on how cruel this world can be. Then we had the opportunity to attend the Swan Lake ballet at the Praha Opera House.... the boys are now very cultured and although they laughed at the thought of being at a ballet, they talked about it for a long time tonight...
we hit the prague sites again tomorow before going to a Czech ExtraLiga hockey semi final game in the evening. Should be a great 24 hours.
Cheers
we hit the prague sites again tomorow before going to a Czech ExtraLiga hockey semi final game in the evening. Should be a great 24 hours.
Cheers
tidbits
Belarus 5 - Canada West 2
In the final game of the tournament, Canada West played their toughest opponent - the team from Belarus. Across the board, they were the biggest team in the tournament, and they were definitely the best skating and passing team. In the first period, they dominated most of the play, but Canada West came out with a 1-0 lead when Marcus Hall came across the blueline and fired a wrist shot into the top corner, catching the goalie by surprise. The Belarus coach was definitely there to win, and read his goalie and his team the riot act in the first intermission, and the team responded.
The Belarus team came out with even more jump in the second period, and before long, they had not only erased the Canada West lead, but they pulled ahead 3-1 by the mid point of the game. The third goal was a power play goal, and was scored with two players in the crease, something that isn't supposed to be allowed. Canada West started to come a little unglued, losing focus on what they needed to do and spending a little too much energy complaining about the bizarre officiating. The refs refused to speak to the Canada West coaches, and Coach Kropf vociferously expressed his displeasure, which resulted in a bench minor and his ejection from the game, but when he didn't leave the bench, the refs eventually just continued the game without speaking to him. Belarus added one more goal in the second to lead 4-1.
During the intermission, Canada West tried to refocus on playing hockey, and came out with a better effort in the third period. Playing much of the game on penalty kill up to that point, they managed to stay out of the box for the most part, and even got a couple of power plays. The period was a 1-1 tie, with Dawson Sawatzky scoring for Canada West.
Canada West ended with a 2-2-1 record, which was good for fourth place in the tournament. Belarus was first, Hvezda Praha (Prague) was second, and Slavia Bratislava (Slovakia) was third. A slow start against Hvezda, and the disallowed goal against Slavia cost the team medal position, but that is how it goes. The players were blessed to have an incredible hockey experience, and to learn some good life lessons going through some challenging situations.
In the final game of the tournament, Canada West played their toughest opponent - the team from Belarus. Across the board, they were the biggest team in the tournament, and they were definitely the best skating and passing team. In the first period, they dominated most of the play, but Canada West came out with a 1-0 lead when Marcus Hall came across the blueline and fired a wrist shot into the top corner, catching the goalie by surprise. The Belarus coach was definitely there to win, and read his goalie and his team the riot act in the first intermission, and the team responded.
The Belarus team came out with even more jump in the second period, and before long, they had not only erased the Canada West lead, but they pulled ahead 3-1 by the mid point of the game. The third goal was a power play goal, and was scored with two players in the crease, something that isn't supposed to be allowed. Canada West started to come a little unglued, losing focus on what they needed to do and spending a little too much energy complaining about the bizarre officiating. The refs refused to speak to the Canada West coaches, and Coach Kropf vociferously expressed his displeasure, which resulted in a bench minor and his ejection from the game, but when he didn't leave the bench, the refs eventually just continued the game without speaking to him. Belarus added one more goal in the second to lead 4-1.
During the intermission, Canada West tried to refocus on playing hockey, and came out with a better effort in the third period. Playing much of the game on penalty kill up to that point, they managed to stay out of the box for the most part, and even got a couple of power plays. The period was a 1-1 tie, with Dawson Sawatzky scoring for Canada West.
Canada West ended with a 2-2-1 record, which was good for fourth place in the tournament. Belarus was first, Hvezda Praha (Prague) was second, and Slavia Bratislava (Slovakia) was third. A slow start against Hvezda, and the disallowed goal against Slavia cost the team medal position, but that is how it goes. The players were blessed to have an incredible hockey experience, and to learn some good life lessons going through some challenging situations.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Big Win!
Game 4 - Canada West 11 - Jarvenpaan Haukat (Finland) 3
Canada West dominated the game from start to finish, but found the back of the net hard to find for the first half of the game. In the first period, defenceman Payton Hall intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and scored on a breakaway while the team was short handed. That was the only scoring of the period. The game was off to a tame start compared to some of the other games, as the officiating was less of a factor, and the Finnish team was less aggressive with their sticks and hits (except when Canada West's Czech line was on the ice).
Things started to open up in the second period when Sarah Spence set up Marcus Hall for a goal. Shortly after, Dylan Pisio scored another short handed goal on a Dawson Sawatzky rebound to make it 3-0. Sarah Spence banged in a rebound from Marcus Hall's shot on goal. Logan Listale left the game with his shut-out intact, but shortly after, a defensive breakdown led to the Finn's first goal. Pisio scored his second goal to get that one back, but the Finns scored an even strength goal and then a power play goal to close the gap to 5-3 after the second.
The third period was all Canada West. After being frustrated for the first part of the tournament, the Czech players scored four of the last six goals. Jakub Tersip scored the first goal, Mak Pavicevic had the second, and Jaro Kopejtko scored the third of the period. Dawson Sawatzky had his first of the game next, and Dylan Pision notched his second. Vlad Maier closed out the scoring to make the final score 11-3.
The team has a short break before taking to the ice against the team from Belarus. They are one of the stronger teams in the tournament, having beaten Bratislava in yesterday's late game.
Canada West dominated the game from start to finish, but found the back of the net hard to find for the first half of the game. In the first period, defenceman Payton Hall intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and scored on a breakaway while the team was short handed. That was the only scoring of the period. The game was off to a tame start compared to some of the other games, as the officiating was less of a factor, and the Finnish team was less aggressive with their sticks and hits (except when Canada West's Czech line was on the ice).
Things started to open up in the second period when Sarah Spence set up Marcus Hall for a goal. Shortly after, Dylan Pisio scored another short handed goal on a Dawson Sawatzky rebound to make it 3-0. Sarah Spence banged in a rebound from Marcus Hall's shot on goal. Logan Listale left the game with his shut-out intact, but shortly after, a defensive breakdown led to the Finn's first goal. Pisio scored his second goal to get that one back, but the Finns scored an even strength goal and then a power play goal to close the gap to 5-3 after the second.
The third period was all Canada West. After being frustrated for the first part of the tournament, the Czech players scored four of the last six goals. Jakub Tersip scored the first goal, Mak Pavicevic had the second, and Jaro Kopejtko scored the third of the period. Dawson Sawatzky had his first of the game next, and Dylan Pision notched his second. Vlad Maier closed out the scoring to make the final score 11-3.
The team has a short break before taking to the ice against the team from Belarus. They are one of the stronger teams in the tournament, having beaten Bratislava in yesterday's late game.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Full game reports
Game 1 - Canada West 2 - HC Hvezda Praha 2
In the team's first game, it was a big adjustment to the large Olympic ice size. The Prague team was quite effective at using the ice and cycling the puck in the offensive end, leaving the Canada West defenders chasing. It became pretty clear that we were playing the host team, and that whlie Canada may be respected around the world, that love does not translate to hockey! Let's just say the refs might have been a bit biased. There was stick-work galore, and icing calls waved off if there was a black jersey within 10 feet of the puck.
The team was back on their heels for the first part of the game and was down 1-0 less than two minutes in. They continued to scramble until Dylan Pisio made a cruching body check that literally took the wind out of the Czech player. Shortly after, Marcus Hall streaked down the right side and put a nice wrist shot over the Czech goalie's shoulder with a minute left in the period. In the second, Canada West spent a lot of time on the penalty kill, as the home town refs called any good body check a charge or a high stick. The Czechs went ahead with a power play goal mid way through the second, but Dylan Pisio tied it up again two minutes later. The third period was scoreless and the game ended in a tie. Logan Tisdale played shut-out goal in his half of the game.
Game 2 - Canada West 6 - Kils AIK (Sweden) 2
Canada West moved to a new rink for their final four games of the tournament, and this ice would be considered narrow even by North American standards, making it more condusive to the physical Canadian style of play. Again the reffing was questionable, as the Swedes were very aggressive with their stick work, slashing and cross checking regularly. Dawson Sawatzky went on a tear in this game, scoring two goals in the first period to give Canada West an early lead, but the Swedes got one back late in the period (it must have been a big deal to them, as the entire bench cleared to celebrate!). In the second, Sawatzky notched his third and Ryan Shirley added one, while Kils scored one more to make the score 4-2 after the second. With the score getting lopsided, we hoped that the refs would try to control the game in the third, but there was no such luck. After getting beaten on the scoreboard and along the boards, the Swedes began to resort to head tackling the Canadian players; luckily the refs called those blatant penalties. Dylan Pisio scored in the third, and Sawatzky added one more to his impressive total. Thomas Spence had a shut-out in his half of the game.
Game 3 - Slavia Bratislava 2 - Canada West 1
This morning's game was the definition of gong show - complete with cursing parents (bilingual!), corrupt refs, out-of-control coaches, and some cheap plays. The first period was scoreless, despite Bratislava getting a penalty shot opportunity on Thomas Spence. Both teams were playing physical and the refs weren't calling much. Likely the saving grace for Canada West is that if there is any hockey country that the Czechs hate more than Canada, it may be Slovakia. Things started to escalate when their biggest player kept going after our biggest player, Ryan Shirley. there were late hits, high sticks, elbowing and holding before the ref finally made a call: off-setting minors.
Things started to get quite out-of-hand in the second period. As some cheap hits by both teams went unpenalized, the Czech coaches and fans started to scream at the refs and there was even some unpleasantries exchanged between opposing coaches. At one point, one out-of-control Slovak parent yelled "F--- you, Canada! Go home!!" Marcus Hall opened the scoring when he beat the Bratislava goalie on a penalty shot, but the Slovaks came back a couple of minutes later with a goal of their own. In the third period, things continued to deteriorate. Bratislava got a penalty, and then the coach went balistic and got a bench minor and tossed out of the game. There was a delay in play, and then the coach came back, apparently with a head official from the tournament. Not only was he allowed back on the bench, but the official called the refs over, and from that point on, Canada West got the shaft. on the 5 on 3 powerplay, Josh Kropf scored to tie the game, but the ref waved off the goal. He said the net was off (which it clearly wasn't) and when he went over to "reset" the net, he couldn't even get it out of the holes that the pegs were in! It was the most frustrating game of the tournament so far for sure, but there were a lot of factors that were obviously out of the team's control;.
In the team's first game, it was a big adjustment to the large Olympic ice size. The Prague team was quite effective at using the ice and cycling the puck in the offensive end, leaving the Canada West defenders chasing. It became pretty clear that we were playing the host team, and that whlie Canada may be respected around the world, that love does not translate to hockey! Let's just say the refs might have been a bit biased. There was stick-work galore, and icing calls waved off if there was a black jersey within 10 feet of the puck.
The team was back on their heels for the first part of the game and was down 1-0 less than two minutes in. They continued to scramble until Dylan Pisio made a cruching body check that literally took the wind out of the Czech player. Shortly after, Marcus Hall streaked down the right side and put a nice wrist shot over the Czech goalie's shoulder with a minute left in the period. In the second, Canada West spent a lot of time on the penalty kill, as the home town refs called any good body check a charge or a high stick. The Czechs went ahead with a power play goal mid way through the second, but Dylan Pisio tied it up again two minutes later. The third period was scoreless and the game ended in a tie. Logan Tisdale played shut-out goal in his half of the game.
Game 2 - Canada West 6 - Kils AIK (Sweden) 2
Canada West moved to a new rink for their final four games of the tournament, and this ice would be considered narrow even by North American standards, making it more condusive to the physical Canadian style of play. Again the reffing was questionable, as the Swedes were very aggressive with their stick work, slashing and cross checking regularly. Dawson Sawatzky went on a tear in this game, scoring two goals in the first period to give Canada West an early lead, but the Swedes got one back late in the period (it must have been a big deal to them, as the entire bench cleared to celebrate!). In the second, Sawatzky notched his third and Ryan Shirley added one, while Kils scored one more to make the score 4-2 after the second. With the score getting lopsided, we hoped that the refs would try to control the game in the third, but there was no such luck. After getting beaten on the scoreboard and along the boards, the Swedes began to resort to head tackling the Canadian players; luckily the refs called those blatant penalties. Dylan Pisio scored in the third, and Sawatzky added one more to his impressive total. Thomas Spence had a shut-out in his half of the game.
Game 3 - Slavia Bratislava 2 - Canada West 1
This morning's game was the definition of gong show - complete with cursing parents (bilingual!), corrupt refs, out-of-control coaches, and some cheap plays. The first period was scoreless, despite Bratislava getting a penalty shot opportunity on Thomas Spence. Both teams were playing physical and the refs weren't calling much. Likely the saving grace for Canada West is that if there is any hockey country that the Czechs hate more than Canada, it may be Slovakia. Things started to escalate when their biggest player kept going after our biggest player, Ryan Shirley. there were late hits, high sticks, elbowing and holding before the ref finally made a call: off-setting minors.
Things started to get quite out-of-hand in the second period. As some cheap hits by both teams went unpenalized, the Czech coaches and fans started to scream at the refs and there was even some unpleasantries exchanged between opposing coaches. At one point, one out-of-control Slovak parent yelled "F--- you, Canada! Go home!!" Marcus Hall opened the scoring when he beat the Bratislava goalie on a penalty shot, but the Slovaks came back a couple of minutes later with a goal of their own. In the third period, things continued to deteriorate. Bratislava got a penalty, and then the coach went balistic and got a bench minor and tossed out of the game. There was a delay in play, and then the coach came back, apparently with a head official from the tournament. Not only was he allowed back on the bench, but the official called the refs over, and from that point on, Canada West got the shaft. on the 5 on 3 powerplay, Josh Kropf scored to tie the game, but the ref waved off the goal. He said the net was off (which it clearly wasn't) and when he went over to "reset" the net, he couldn't even get it out of the holes that the pegs were in! It was the most frustrating game of the tournament so far for sure, but there were a lot of factors that were obviously out of the team's control;.
More tidbits
Last night the rowdys were in full force at the hotel... they went on partying till the wee hours in the AM, and even after Rodd and a few others tried shutting them up.... the 4 czech kids we have with us are fitting in well, and they love playing the Canadian style with hitting etc, and are doing lots of it themselves as well..... Dawson Sawatsky filled the net yesterday with 4 goals... Marcus Hall had a great goal coming down the wing looking like a young Guy Lafleur and ripping it past the goalie..... both Logan Tisdale and Thomas Spencer are playing great in net.... Team Sweden gave Sara Spence the player of the game award yesterday..... we hope to swap T shirts with the Swedes tomorow.... we have tickets to go to a Slavia Praha pro hockey playoff game on Tuesday....... the Slavia football game was amazing, complete with tear gas, and fire bombs in the stands, and oh ya on the field Slavia won...... the hit of the game today was Marcus driving the net and getting hit as he drove from the wing to the net and all three bodies crashing at once, Marcus getting up instantly and the two Slovak kids writhing in pain on the ice with net flung off.... a close second was one of our Czech kids got a dirty hit against him and then Ryan S got the plate numbers and next time the Swede came down the ice, Ryan through a Monster hit on him that would make any Dion Phanuef fan proud.....
CHeers for now
CHeers for now
Wow, finally a internet cafe
Sorry for the delay in getting this news out. We have arrived and now are sitting with a record of 1-1-1, suffering the first loss today in a 2-1 loss to SLavia Bratislava.... we lost on the scoreboard but won in the alley today! What a gong show....
Let me back track though...
First game was against Hvezda Praha and we skated to a nervous 2-2 tie with them. The kids were really nervous, but held on for the one point in the standings
Then that afternoon we laced up against the HAIK team from Sweden and beat them 6-2 with a solid effort from everyone and we looked great doing it.
Then this AM, we came up against the Bratislava team, and what a gong show...
We lost 2-1, but they called a goal back on us, saying the net was off, but they never fixed the net afterwards or anything... it was all prior to the incident at the bench, though, and the refs called the goal back and rest of game in fear of the Mafia dude running the Slvia bench...
They hated the fact we were hitting, and hitting hard. So he yelled at the ref, and ref kicked him out, but then I am certain he threatened the life of the ref, so the ref let him stay on the becnh and coach. Then he wanted to fight me, I said for sure, lets get it on... then he turned and sent his two goons on the ice, but our two bigger guys were already on the ice, and Ryan S just laughed at the kid, and nothing happened, because we would have ran them out of the building. HOwever by then the refs were in full fear and we payed the rest of the game fairly penalised for anything we did.... oh well. such as is life in EU hockey.... kids had fun, he blood was pum,ping and the crew shook it all off afterwards by shopping for a couple hours at the mall!
Relxing rest of day with free time, and two more games tomorow!!!
Cheers, and thanks for reading!
Let me back track though...
First game was against Hvezda Praha and we skated to a nervous 2-2 tie with them. The kids were really nervous, but held on for the one point in the standings
Then that afternoon we laced up against the HAIK team from Sweden and beat them 6-2 with a solid effort from everyone and we looked great doing it.
Then this AM, we came up against the Bratislava team, and what a gong show...
We lost 2-1, but they called a goal back on us, saying the net was off, but they never fixed the net afterwards or anything... it was all prior to the incident at the bench, though, and the refs called the goal back and rest of game in fear of the Mafia dude running the Slvia bench...
They hated the fact we were hitting, and hitting hard. So he yelled at the ref, and ref kicked him out, but then I am certain he threatened the life of the ref, so the ref let him stay on the becnh and coach. Then he wanted to fight me, I said for sure, lets get it on... then he turned and sent his two goons on the ice, but our two bigger guys were already on the ice, and Ryan S just laughed at the kid, and nothing happened, because we would have ran them out of the building. HOwever by then the refs were in full fear and we payed the rest of the game fairly penalised for anything we did.... oh well. such as is life in EU hockey.... kids had fun, he blood was pum,ping and the crew shook it all off afterwards by shopping for a couple hours at the mall!
Relxing rest of day with free time, and two more games tomorow!!!
Cheers, and thanks for reading!
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