World Championship. Russia U18 - Slovakia U18

On April 20th, the under 18 Russian national team will play World Championship hosts Slovakia in the quarter-final stage.

Russia finished second in their group, beating the Czech Republic, Sweden and Belarus while dropping the one defeat against America. Forwards Andrei Svechnikov and Ivan Chekhovich have been Russia's leading lights at the competition, both boasting six points. Maxim Zhukov, who was selected as the number one goaltender, owns a 91.23 saves percentage.

To the surprise of many, Slovakia had an excellent group campaign. They defeated Latvia and Switzerland, and lost only by one goal to both Canada and reigning champions Finland. They will be pumped up to give Russia a real run for their money.

Puck drop is scheduled for 18:30 Moscow time. Match TV will broadcast live in Russia.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation