Lithuania goes to Budapest without stars

01 Nov 2012 | Davide Tuniz

New coach Bernd Haake's first challenge at the Olympic Qualification seems very hard. Lithuania begins today at Elektrėnai ice palace the preparation for the Olympic Qualifications held in Budapest from 8 to 11 November against Hungary, Netherlands and Croatia.

The new Lithuanian national team coach Bernd Haake has invited 27 players and three goalkeepers. The German coach can't count on almost all top players for different reasons: Mindaugas Kieras and Darius Pliskauskas remain with their club Slough Jets and so do Arystan Temirtau's Arnoldas Bosas, Donatas and Tadas Kumeliauskai. All promised to help the team in the 2013 World Championship.

New Jersey Devils' Dainius Zubrus, despite the lockout NHL, has no valid insurance and therefore can not help team.

Nerijus Ališauskas (Liepajas Metalurgs, Latvia), Artur Rybakovas, Aimas Fiščevas (Baltica Vilnius), Mantas Armalis (Mora IK in Sweden), Povilas Verenis (Liepajas Metalurgs, Latvia) , Daniel Bogdziulis and Aivars Bendžius (Ilves Tampere, Finland) will join the team in November 5-6.

However Bernd Haake visited and are going to visit and personally interact with all of the strongest players playing abroad. He was already in Sweden watching the 20 year-old goalkeeper Mantas Armalis, in England to evaluate Kieras and Pliskauskas and last weekend watched Liepaja Metalurgs game. In late November the coach will fly to Kazakhstan.

"We selected specific objectives. We have to prepare the future of the team. We want to be well prepared in 2013 World Championship Division I B in Donetsk (Ukraine). So this Olympic tournament it's a great opportunity to move to a qualitatively new team. However, this does not mean that the team won't fight in Hungary. We will fight in every game trying to win " said Federation General Secretary Vaidas Budrauskas.

Meanwhile Haake begins to work very seriously. He brought new clothing and equipment, have found sponsors to support the team financially and contracted an assistant from Italy, Daniel Goller, to work especially with the goalies.

Before leaving for Hungary Lithuania will play two exhibition games on November 2nd and 3rd at Elektrėnai Ice Palace against the Belarus U-18 team. In Hungary the debut game will be on November 9 against the host.

Lithuania Roster:

Goaltenders:
Armalis Mantas (Mora IK, SWE)
Daukševičius Nerijus (Energija Elektrenai)
Aleinikovas Arūnas (Energija Elektrenai)

Defenders:
Katulis Artūras (Berkut Kyiv, UKR)
Aliukonis Rolandas (Energija Elektrenai)
Vėželis Justinas (Energija Elektrenai)
Vyšniauskas Tomas (Energija Elektrenai)
Kubilius Karolis (Energija Elektrenai)
Pikčius Valdas (Energija Elektrenai)
Šilinskas Benas (Kedainių LRK)
Citavičius Šarūnas (Kedainių LRK)
Burneika Lukas (Kedainių LRK)
Rybakov Artur (Baltica Vilnius, MHL-B)
Ališauskas Nerijus (Liepajas Metalurgs, LAT)

Forwards:
Kulevičius Dovydas (Energija Elektrenai)
Kuliešius Šarūnas (Energija Elektrenai)
Visockas Algimantas (Energija Elektrenai)
Kazlauskas Deividas (Energija Elektrenai)
Jagelavičius Vytautas (Energija Elektrenai)
Židkovas Andrejus (Energija Elektrenai)
Rimkus Laisvydas (Energija Elektrenai)
Viknius Jonas (Kedainių LRK)
Guoga Remigijus (Kedainių LRK)
Gutauskas Erminas (Kedainių LRK)
Deksnys Dominykas (Vanvita Vilnius)
Nomanov Daniel (Gelezinis vilkas)
Fiščevas Aimas (Baltika Vilnius, MHL-B)
Bendžius Aivaras (Ilves Tampere, FIN)
Bogdziul Daniel (Ilves Tampere, FIN)
Verenis Povilas (Liepajas Metalurgs, LAT)