Slovakia will enter the Division IIB World Championships this week after being relegated last year. Their hopes for promotion will take a hit as Nela Lopusnova remains in North America for the USA Hockey National championships.
Slovakia will enter the Division IIB World Championships this week after being relegated last year. Their hopes for promotion will take a hit as Nela Lopusnova remains in North America for the USA Hockey National championships.
Nela Lopusanova is one of the top young stars in hockey, but the IIHF's timing of tournaments will keep her out of competition. For Lopusanova, she'll be suiting up for the Bishop Kearney Selects at the USA Hockey National Championships this week at the same time as Slovakia is playing in the Division IIB World Championships in Latvia.
Lopusanova has been an integral member of the stacked Bishop Kearney Selects team who enters the USA Hockey Nationals ranked first in the nation.
This is Lopusanova's first season of eligibility for Slovakia's senior national team at IIHF competition.
Slovakia was relegated from the Division 1A Worlds last year after a weak showing, and will look to climb back up this year. To do so they'll need to beat Great Britain, Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Slovenia.
The majority of Slovakia's roster played together this season in the EWHL with SKP Bratislava where it was 16-year-old Ema Tothova who led her team in scoring with 14 goals and 30 points in 20 games. She's expected to be a top line threat for Slovakia at the tournament using her 5-foot-10 frame to her advantage.
Slovakia's strength is in their youth including U-18 World Championships captain Tatiana Blichova. Lucia Haluskova after she finished second overall in the EWHL in scoring with 44 points in 22 games for HK Budapest.
Netminder Andrea Risianova is expected to be Slovakia's starter in net, backed up by a pair of teenagers.
Having not represented Slovakia since 2019, the nation will get a boost from the return of Iveta Klimášová who spent multiple seasons with the PHF's Buffalo Beauts, and this season split time between Finland and with AIK in the the SDHL.