January 27, 2012 - Baby steps. That's what the USA Men's National Bandy Team has been taking the last few years, baby steps. After years of coming close, the team has finally played it's way into the A Pool of the Bandy World Championships, and have managed to stay there. This will be the third year in a row that the team has been a part of the A Pool, and the ninth time overall since 1985. But this year, it will take a big step for the team to remain among the best. For the first time, this year's tournament will have a three pool format. The American team plays in the A Pool, where they solidified their spot last February with a 5-2 win over Belarus in the Qualification Match in Kazan, Russia. Until now, it's been a two tier tournament, with an A and B pool. This year, a C Pool was added to make room for new entrants in Japan and Kyrgyzstan. Along with the additional division, some changes in the format have taken place. In previous years, the bottom team in the A Pool played the winner of the B Pool for the right to play in the following years World Championship A Pool. This year, the top team in the B Pool will win an automatic berth into the A Pool, and the bottom team in the A Pool will automatically be entered into the B Pool for 2013. That means, in order to remain in the top division, the United States would have to do something they have never done, won a game in the A Pool. Barring an unlikely upset, the teams best chance to win a game will come in their final game of the tournament versus Norway. However, Norway has a proud Bandy history, and will do everything in their power to see that this does not happen. Besides pride, the biggest reason the Norwegians will be determined to beat the USA is, next years A Pool World Championships are tentatively scheduled to be played in Oslo. If Norway was to go winless in round robin play, and then lose to the U.S., they would have to travel to the site of the B Pool tournament to compete, and would not be playing in their home country.

The team departed January 26th for Kazakhstan to compete in this years World Championships, where they will take on the top tier teams in the sport, including defending Champion Russia, Sweden, Finland, Kazakhstan, and the previously mentioned Norway. This years tournament is being held January 29th through February 5th in the city of Almaty (also known as Alma-Ata), at Medeu Stadium. The outdoor venue is at a high altitude, sitting 7000 feet above sea level. The team is coached by Chris Halden, along with Assistant Coach Mikael Sandberg, who also plays on the team. Sandberg is coming off knee surgery this past summer, and has recovered just in time to participate in on ice training leading up to the trip. But although he hasn't been able to participate physically with the team, that doesn't mean he hasn't been heavily involved in preparing the team for this years tournament. He was vital in helping the team prepare for this years tournament after being given more of a voice within the team. He has used his vast knowledge of the sport to prepare the squad both on and off the ice. This years team is viewed as better prepared than any other team before. "We have trained harder this year and focused more on dryland than we ever have in the past", said Forward Nick Hauer. "We've re-structured our line-up to get our strongest players the ball more often, and I feel like we are much improved". Hauer, who now has the third most international matches of any player on the roster with 62, only 3 games behind Kyllonen, and 121 behind Sweeper Rick Haney, will be playing in his eigth World Championship tournament. Long time team Captain Haney is joined this year by John Arundel, who was recently voted co-Captain by his teammates. When asked for comment on the team, Arundel said "This is the most experienced and talented team I've been involved with. I think the team chemistry is good, and everybody is extremely anxious to get over to Kazahstan and start playing against the world's best. We hope to make a good impression".

The USA roster is missing four players from last years squad, in Goalkeeper Tommy Stone, Halfback Jakob Blücher, Fullback Dave Moline, and veteran Halfback Chris Priess. For Priess, this year will be especially hard, as he suffers through the withdrawal of not being with the team for the first time since 1997, when he first made the team at the age of twenty. "The team over the last few years has had a really nice bond. I'm going to miss the locker room camaraderie as much as playing in the games", said Priess. The team will take only one rookie to northern Asia in Tom Sawatske. Sawatske is the team's only player making his debut after signing with Duluth Dynamo of the USA Bandy League, following a celebrated hockey career that saw stops at the University of Wisconsin, Notre Dame, the U.S. Development Program and Junior National Team. The Duluth native has also played professional hockey in the CHL and ECHL before joining Duluth Dynamo as a free agent for the 2011-2012 season. With Tommy Stone out of the lineup, Erik Kraska will handle the Goalkeeping duties throughout the tournament as the clear #1 in net for the U.S.  Fullback Erick Kyllonen, while not a part of last year's team, has been a part of several American squads, and will provide valuable leadership to this young team. Daren Richardson is the only player that has not been training with the team in the United States, but for good reason. Richardson is playing elite Bandy in Sweden, as a Midfielder with the Vetlanda Bandy Club. He is the first player in 24 years to play elite Bandy in Sweden, and only the second USA Bandy player to play at the elite level. He is joined in Almaty by his brother Evan, who is making his second team trip, after a very respectable debut tournament last year in Kazan.

The Americans are scheduled to open play against Russia on January 29th, The team will then face Kazakhstan, Finland, and Sweden, before finishing round-robin play versus Norway on February 2nd. After a day off on the 3rd, the medal rounds will take place on the 4th and 5th. 

Follow the team at:  http://www.worldbandy.com/wcs/

TEAM USA 2012 

Team Leaders:

General Manager/FIB Representative   Magnus Sköld

Assistant General Manager   Steve Arundel

Team Leader/ABA President   Chris Middlebrook

Head Coach   Chris Halden

Assistant Coach   Mikael Sandberg

Technical Director   John Hedenstrom

United States Roster:

Erik Kraska - Goalkeeper,  Mississippi Mojo (USA)

        -----

John Arundel (Captain) - Halfback, Minneapolis Bandolier BC (USA)

Scott Arundel - Fullback, Mississippi Mojo (USA)

BJ Bayers - Forward, Minnesota Blades BC (USA)

Rick Haney (Captain) - Sweeper, Duluth Dynamo (USA) 

Nick Hauer - Forward, Twin City Ice Tigers (USA)

Michael Hosfield - Midfield, Mississippi Mojo (USA)

Jon Keseley - Midfield, Minneapolis Bandolier BC (USA)

Andrew Knutson - Forward, Minneapolis Bandolier BC (USA)

Erick Kyllonen - Fullback, Twin City Tigers (USA)

Brent Palmer - Forward, Duluth Dynamo (USA)

Dave Plaunt - Fullback, Duluth Dynamo (USA)

Daren Richardson - Midfield,Vetlanda BK (Sweden)

Evan Richardson - Fullback, Duluth Dynamo (USA)

Mikael Sandberg - Halfback, Twin City Ice Tigers (USA)

Tom Sawatske - Halfback, Duluth Dynamo (USA) *Debut

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Games Schedule (All Times ALMT-Alma-Ata Time):

Sunday 1/29 17.30 USA - Russia

Monday 1/30 19.00 USA - Kazakhstan

Tuesday 1/31 13.00 USA - Finland

Wednesday 2/1 16.00 USA - Sweden

Thursday 2/2 13.00 USA - Norway

Friday 2/3 OFF DAY

Saturday 2/4

     10.00 Qualification A6-B1

     13.00 Semifinal 1

     16.00 Semifinal 2

Sunday 2/5

     11.00 Bronze Match

     16.00 World Championship Final

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~ Thom Wynn