North Stars give Slovaks taste of Canadian hockey
Niagara North Stars U14 goalie Daxx Partridge was doubly thrilled to play a team from Slovakia Wednesday night at the Meridian Centre.
“It’s super cool, first of all playing a team from a different country but also being able to play in this rink is something I have always wanted to do. I have had one or two practices here but this is the first time I’ve been able to play in this rink.”
The two teams skated onto the rink serenaded by loud music and then stood at their respective blue lines for the playing of the Slovak and Canadian national anthems.
“I had never heard the Slovakian anthem before so that was cool experience and I have only heard the Canadian anthem once when I have been actually playing in the game. That was awesome,” the Ridley College student said.
Partridge was impressed by the play of the visitors.
“They are really good, they are really tall and they can make plays. I was always looking for the backdoor pass because it seemed to be open.”
His approach to the game was to make the first save, control rebounds and try and not let any weak goals in.
He gave up a goal 15 seconds into the game but also made several big stops before being relieved by Gavin Fox halfway though the game.
“It was damn. I didn’t really see where the puck was,” Partridge said of the first goal. “The next thing you know it was in the back of my net. After that I had to refocus.”
It was a memorable night for the goalie.
“Other than playing in this rink, I am going to remember just how good of a hockey team they are and how much of a great experience this was.”
The North Stars trailed 3-0 after one period but rallied to tie the game 4-4 heading into the final period. Niagara outscored the international visitors 2-1 in the final period to record the win.
North Stars head coach Pat Desjardins was impressed with the play of Slovakia.
“They are crafty and we knew they would be talented and skilled. But they are a bunch of honey badgers out there. They don’t give up on pucks, they’re hard on their sticks and they’re fast. It’s fun to watch.”
One thing the North Stars did give the Slovaks was a lesson in physical hockey. Niagara dished out several thunderous checks and sent three players to the bench feeling the effects of said hits.
“It’s the first year of hitting and the kids like to be physical,” Desjardins said. “We have some guys that can really dish it. We are asking them to be careful but at the same time it’s hockey, right? It’s Canadian hockey and it was a nice introduction for them.”
He was pleased to see his team come back from the early deficit.
“That is kind of the message we have been trying to share with the kids. We have to be a bit more resilient and it’s going to happen where you go down in games. You have to claw back and you have to kill five-on-threes. We killed a big one and ended up clawing out way back. I am proud of them for that.”
The game was arranged when a manager of the Slovakian team contacted Desjardins in the summer.
“I thought it was a great opportunity so I passed it off to Peter (Partridge) because he’s the logistics guy. He put this all together with the help of some of the moms. They have been working hard at this for awhile.”
The Slovakian team tied the Southern Tier Admirals 4-4 Tuesday night and Desjardins expected a battle.
“I don’t think they would be coming here with a bad team.”
Slovakian head coach Tomas Tischler brought a roster of 15 skaters and two goalies to Canada for a third straight year. The team has played exhibition games before playing in a tournament in Sherbrooke, Que, but this year the team is competing in the Shanahan International Tournament in Toronto starting Friday.
He loves bringing his teams to Canada.
“It’s exciting and it’s a good experience for the kids. Everyone in Slovakia or the Czech Republic dreams to go play in Canada because it is the home of hockey. Everyone is willing to have that experience and meet teams. In Europe, we play European teams and sometimes we get a Canadian or U.S. team coming but it’s very rare and they are super excited to experience Canadian hockey,” Tischler said.
The majority of the players are from the eastern part of Slovakia but athletes from other regions were also added to the squad.
The team arrived in Niagara at 4 a.m. and battled through jet lag in the game versus the Admirals Tuesday night.
“They were so excited and I was happy we managed to tie the game.”
Tischler has noticed differences in the hockey played between the two countries.
“Hockey is hockey but there are differences, of course. We play on bigger rinks but the biggest difference is the intensity here in Canada. At the triple A level, all the kids are quick and they play physical. They work hard every shift and that is what we are sometimes missing in Slovakia. Sometimes it is not at that level. One line is triple A players and the second line is maybe double A. We don’t have those numbers and we don’t have the quality so we have to search for competition somewhere else.”
Their visit to Niagara has included sightseeing in Niagara Falls and getting a tour of the athletic facilities at Ridley College.
“It was exciting for the boys to see hockey combined with an education,” Tischler said.
When they arrive in Toronto, a visit to the hockey hall of fame is on the agenda.
STATS PACK
North Stars 6 East Selects 5
BPSN Players of the Game: Niagara North Stars’ Hudson Bryan and Slovakia’s Oliver Tomastik with hat tricks
For the North Stars: Bryan 3; Lucas Styger; Matt Day; and, Jackson Lostracco.
For Slovakia East Selects: Tomastik 3; Peter Sekerak 2.
