Preview against Italy

With the coaching staff rotating the players, Márk Miskolczi, Gergő Nagy, Scott Macaulay and Zsombor Garát got back into the lineup. Not playing today will be, defencemen Márk Szaller and Tamás Láday, neither forwards András Benk, Tamás Sárpátki, Áron Reisz and István Terbócs. Miklós Rajna will be starting today with Bence Kiss serving as the backup goalie. Team captain will be Gergő Nagy with Márk Miskolczi and Zsombor Garát serving as the assistant captains.

Hungary and Italy have been rivals over the past decade with Italy usually winning when the teams play each other in the World Championships. The last time the two teams have played Hungary defeated Italy by the score of 3-2 at last year’s World Championships. Hungary has a four game winning streak against the Italian national team.

In the first two games of the EIHC tournament in Bled, Slovenia the Italian national team defeated Belarus in their opener and then lost by a goal to Slovenia. The Italians have two defencemen, Luca Zanatta and Alex Trivalleto  and seven forwards, Ralph Andergassen

Ivan De Luca, Luca Frigo, Markus Gander, Simon Kostner, Tommaso Traversa and Peter Hockelhofer  who were on last years World Championship roster that won promotion to the A-Pool. Despite this the Italian team is experienced with most of the players playing for the national team and thus familiar with the Hungarian team.

Lineup against Italy

Németh, Nagy, Becze
Odnoga, Horváth, Vincze
Kiss P., Miskolczi, Szita
Pavuk, Mihály

Szabó, Macaulay
Garát, Fejes
Vokla, Kiss R.
Jászai, Imre

Rajna (Kiss B.)
Scratched: Láday, Szaller, Benk, Reisz, Sárpátki, Terbócs

Schedule:
Slovenia-HUNGARY 4-1
HUNGARY-Belarus 5-3
Feb. 9th 16:00: HUNGARY-Italy

Roster