Russia U18 have trained in Bratislava

The under 18 Russian national team are continuing their World Championship preparations in Slovakia. On April 7th, the team will play a friendly game against Latvia before another exhibition match on April 9th against Canada.

Training line-ups:

Ustimenko, Akhmetov, Rayko;

Samorukov, Perelyaev - Chekhovich, Lipanov, Svechnikov;

Rubinchik, Galenyuk - Alexeev, Bitsadze, Shashkov;

Baranov, Kalabushkin - Slepets, Koltygin, Maximov;

Dedov, Osin - Lobanov, Klisunov, Muranov;

Okhotyuk - Toropchenko, Nikolenko, Marushev.

Russia U18 head coach Sergei Golubovich:

- Maxim Zhukov is the only player who is currently not in Slovakia with us. He is in Novogorsk while the necessary documents are put together. It's planned that he wil join us tomorrow afternoon.

It was a tactical training session today. Tomorrow morning, we will hold a pre-match skate. The players which will play against Latvia in the evening will play.

- In these friendly matches, will you give players who aren't certain of a place on the roster more ice time?

- Yes, you could say that.

Russia U18 forward Andrei Svechnikov:

- We have worked a lot over special teams during our preparations. We aren't thinking about the friendly against Latvia yet, the coaches will speak to us about that tomorrow. We all have to perform well. It's my fourth day with the side after travelling from North America, I haven't yet fully adapated to the different time zone. I want to sleep during the day while at night I have more energy. I don't feel easy on the ice. It's good that there is still time befoe the World Championship starts.

After the Challenge Cup, I found it tougher in North America. Opposing teams played harder against my line. At first, I was in one line with Colin Adams, but then the coaches changed the combinations up. I think that it worked, it made things more difficult for other teams. My brother's penalty shot for Detroit in the NHL? I am happy for him, he needs to continue in the same vein. However, I didn't watch the match during the night, I followed a text broadcast. I have watched his penalty shot about one hundred times though.

Thanks to last year's World Championship, we know what this tournament is all about. That experience should help us.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation