The United States men’s ball hockey team posted its best finish ever at the ISBHF World Championships at Pilsen, Czech Republic, June 13-20. The US went 5-2, beating four-time defending champ Canada 5-4 in overtime in the quarterfinals before losing 5-4 to India in the semis and 5-2 to Slovakia in the bronze-medal game. Denny Schlegel of Buffalo was named the tournament’s outstanding forward. Defenseman Andrew Hildreth and forward Bobby Housser (both of Leominster, MA) were selected to the all-tournament team.
The US, started the tournament in the ‘B’ pool based on their 10th-place finish at the 2007 Worlds. They finished 3-0 in ‘B’-pool round-robin play, dispatching Greece, Hong Kong and Austria to earn a classification date with Switzerland from the ‘A’ pool.
Schlegel netted a true hat trick in the game’s first 16 minutes to stake the US to a 3-0 lead. Steve Gregory (Pittsburgh) added another goal, goaltender Jon Rethage (Pittsburgh) made 16 saves, the US won 4-1, and it was time for an ‘A’-pool quarterfinal date with Canada, the tournament’s four-time defending champs.
It was an epic contest, as both teams had high-octane speed and skill. Canada led 4-3 despite two goals by Schlegel and one by Hildreth, but Housser tied the game in the 41st minute. Gregory won the game in the sixth minute of overtime, burying a centering feed from Bill Allen (Buffalo). B.J. Schreib (Pittsburgh) was the winning goaltender, making 21 saves.
The result was no fluke: The Americans outshot Canada 28-25, including 9-2 in the third period as their young legs came to the fore.
“Beating them was like winning the gold medal at the time,” said US Coach Chris Housser (Leominster, MA). “The memory will last a long time. They have a solid club and a great organization, but we matched them stride for stride and shot for shot.
“Beating Canada was great for the players because it validated they were as good as anyone in the tournament.”
Next up was India, 3-2 quarterfinal winners over Italy. (It must be noted that many teams at the World Championships, including India and Italy, are populated mostly by Canadians with ancestral ties.) The US seized a 4-2 lead on goals by Bobby Housser, Allen, Gregory and Schlegel, but India showed great resiliency by scoring the final three goals to win 5-4. The US kept up the pressure all game, outshooting India 32-21, but India’s blazing speed, precise skill and predatory opportunism were too much.
The Americans’ collective needle hit ‘E’ in the bronze-medal game vs. Slovakia. Schlegel’s goal in the third minute gave the US its only lead, 1-0. Joe Hadley (Pittsburgh) buried a short-handed goal in the final minute of the second period to cut the Slovak lead to 4-2. But Slovakia, which enjoyed a 48-20 edge in shots, added a late empty-netter and ran out worthy winners.
The fourth-place finish was a tremendous step forward for US men’s ball hockey. The Americans just missed a medal, improved dramatically on a ninth-place finish in 2005 and 10th place in 2007, and laid down a solid, youth-based foundation for the future.
“In the US, we played street hockey on smaller rinks,” Chris Housser said. “But now we have a bunch of players that have played ball hockey in international tournaments, including some who won the gold medal at the junior worlds in 2006 and bronze at last year’s junior worlds.
“Ball hockey on a big rink, with three zones, is a more methodical game. You need experience at it to come out of the gate hitting on all cylinders. We don’t have to keep teaching the game anymore. Our adjustment period was minimal this time. Our guys know this game now.”
Schlegel led the tournament in scoring with 10 goals and four assists. Bobby Housser was second with five goals and eight assists, Hildreth eighth with three goals and eight assists.
“Denny, Bobby and Andrew were great,” Chris Housser said. “This was Denny’s first international tournament. He has a great shot, he’s good both ways and he’s coachable. Bobby keeps getting better. His vision and speed make him a threat all the time. Andrew is a great offensive defenseman, dangerous with his shot and a great passer. All three are workhorses.”
For details in the 2009 ISBHF World Championships, go to Pilsen2009.com.
US ROSTER – 2009 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
G – Jon Rethage (Pittsburgh), B.J. Schreib (Pittsburgh)
D – Joe Hadley (Pittsburgh), Anthony Fortunato (Leominster, MA), Andrew Hildreth (Leominster), Dave Molitierno (Pittsburgh), Eric Sholtz (Buffalo), George Tarantino (Lancaster, PA), Rick Zimmick (Pittsburgh)
F – Bill Allen (Buffalo), Brandon Gazzo (Pittsburgh), Steve Gregory (Pittsburgh), Bobby Housser (Leominster), Tom Hughes (Buffalo), Tyson Lajoie (Leominster), Matt Levesque (Leominster), Doug Nickel (Leominster), Denny Schlegel (Buffalo), Billy Sullivan (Pittsburgh), Coby Sweat (Buffalo)
Coach – Chris Housser (Leominster)
RESULTS
US 4, Greece 2
US 13, Hong Kong 2
US 11, Austria 1
US 4, Switzerland 1
US 5, Canada 4 (OT)
India 5, US 4
Slovakia 5, US 2