Jalonen’s Team Continues Unbeaten Streak in EHCh Preparation, Faces Tough Test Against Austria

Jalonen’s team is still unbeaten in the EHCh preparation. First, he won over Germany in Kassel 6:2 and in Frankfurt am Main 5:1, and last week in Ostrava he defeated Slovakia 5:1 and 3:2 after separate raids. The Finnish coach pointed out that the Austrians were also able to succeed. After losing to Italy, they beat both Italy and Germany on raids after previous losses.

“We have to respect every opponent. It doesn’t matter what line-up they are in. We will put all the new players who have joined us this week in the line-up. Langhamer will be catching. We will work the new players into our match play system, that is for us now the most important thing,” Jalonen told reporters.

Langhamer joined the training on Tuesday after the end of the season at Ilves Tampere. A day earlier, four defenders and forwards joined in Brno. Captain Roman Červenka, other forwards Martin Kaut from San Jose, Tomáš Hyka and Lukáš Sedlák from Pardubice, in defense their club teammates Tomáš Dvořák and Jan Košťálk and other backs David Jiříček and Stanislav Svozil from Columbus will also play. The hockey players will go to Vienna, 140 km away, on the day of the game after ice skating and lunch.

Langhamer will face the Austrians for the second time in his 13th game in the national team, having made his debut against them in April 2019 in Znojmo in a 3:1 win. “I remember it well. We’ll see this year. Austria pulled themselves together and they’re definitely a better team. Of course we saw it at the World Cup. It won’t be easy. Especially for a goalkeeper, those games can be so tricky when there aren’t that many shots. Or vice versa will surprise us at their home, we don’t know yet,” said Langhamer.

Last year, the Czechs even faced the Austrians four times. Before the failure at the WC in Tampere, they won 5:1 in the EHCh in Znojmo and 4:1 in Linz, then again 4:1 at the Czech Games in Ostrava. With the exception of the Ostrava duel, Jan Ščotka played all the defenders.

“At the World Cup, the teams are balanced, whether it’s the Austrians or the Swiss. They just rise and nothing is free. It’s good that we prepare for them now and then play them again at the championship. I don’t remember that loss very well, but then again, I think we played quality hockey and maybe the loss kicked us a little to better results,” said the Komety Brno defender.

For the national team, it was the first loss against the Austrians and in total against Czechoslovakia since March 1932, since the 0:3 result at the European Championship in Berlin. The Scot expects another good test before the Czech Games in the following week against Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as Saturday’s rematch with the Austrians in Brno.

“They skate a lot and play simply, so they throw the pucks and go after them very actively, which is very pleasant for us backs. But it’s good as a preparation,” Ščotka added.