U20 preparing for the Pres­i­dent Cup in Riga

“The coaching staff has two opportunities to assess the squad for the World Championship: now in August and then again in November. The President Cup is therefore an important scouting tournament,” said ÖEHV Sporting Director Roger Bader in advance.

As not all players were released, the team travels to Riga with a mix of U18 and U20 players. “Tournaments like these are always an opportunity to put yourself forward for the World Championship team,” explained Roger Bader.

A total of six teams will take part in Riga, with hosts Latvia entering two. They are joined by Austria, the Castleton Spartans from Vermont State University (USA), TUTO Hockey from Finland and the Raiders from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (USA).

Austria will play their opening game against the Spartans on Friday before facing Latvia on Saturday.

Head Coach Philipp Pinter: “This is our first camp of this year’s World Championship season and we are all really looking forward to it. We have known the lads for several years and the players know what awaits them on and off the ice. The pace will be extremely high. We will see how the team performs, how it can improve and how quickly it comes together. For us, it is primarily about scouting and observing, and about introducing the lads to a higher level. We want to get the best out of the tournament so that we can field the best possible team in the autumn.”

The Villach native is also already looking ahead to the World Championship, where Austria will face Norway, France, Denmark, Hungary and Slovenia in Bled (SLO) in December: “The group is very evenly matched, a tough challenge. One advantage for us coaches is that we have already worked with these age groups and know the players in great detail.”

The team will prepare for the President Cup in Bruck/Leitha. They will travel to Riga on Wednesday, where further training sessions are scheduled before the opening game against the Spartans on Friday.

President Cup Riga (LAT)

15–18 August, Riga (LAT)
Website: https://lhf.lv/en#noportal

Austria schedule

Austria vs. Castleton Spartans (USA)
Fri, 16 August 2024, 15:00 (16:00 local time)

Latvia Red vs. Austria
Sat, 17 August 2024, 15:00 (16:00 local time)

Squad