Cze: U-16 Evalution Camp

The best of the 1989 and 1990 Czech born players were gathered together in Nymburk, Czech Republic, for the first meeting of the new Czech Under-16 team. The five days consisted of physical fitness testing, on-ice practices and three intra-squad games all in the effort to help coaches Jaromir Sindel and Zdenek Cech to determine which players are capable of succeeding on the international stage.

Some of the likely candidates for a selection to the team were missing because their international prowess from the previous season enabled them to visit the evaluation camp of the Czech Under-17 team, held in Klasterec one week later. Among that group of 1989’s with nothing to prove at the Under-16 level were Jiri Jebavy, Jakub Voracek and Jakub Kachlik.

GOAL:

From the six goalies invited, Karlovy Vary midgets netminder Marek Benda stole the show with his strong fundamental skills and prowess. Benda is the only 1989 born goalie that has a full season of midget Extraleague experience as a starter under his belt and has so far met expectations as the possible starter of the U-17 team. Benda is a mature butterfly goalie with sharp reflexes and strong athleticism. He makes up for his size deficiency with his quickness and composure, however, he needs to play the angles better and could use his stick to a bigger extent.

DEFENSE:

On the back rows, Vsetin midgets defenseman Radim Ostrcil stood out with his effective two-way game, but still has the same drawbacks to his game which caused his progress to stagnate. Ostrcil was invited to the camp last year as an underager, but the overweight blueliner failed to make a positive impression on the tournament he was invited to and this summer saw him back with the Under-16 team again instead of being bumped up to the U-17 team. Ostrcil supports the offense well with his crafty puckhandling and deceptive passing skills, but needs to learn how to play his position more effectively and not wander from his defensive responsibilities. This time he didn't report so out of shape, but still could drop some weight to become more mobile and a bigger threat in the transition.

From the newcomers, swift Karlovy Vary midget’s defenseman Tomas Schmidt garnered the spotlight along with his defensive partner David Stich from the midget team of Plzen. Both players displayed an impressive poise in their own zone, keeping the play in front of them and making a minimum of mistakes. Stich plays a more conservative style, serving as a reliable stay-at-home defenseman with a bit of a mean streak. Schmidt, on the other hand, was willing to rush the puck occasionally and showed a penchant for making the long outlet pass right on the tape. Both players boast adequate skating abilities, but Stich and to a lesser extent Schmidt must work on lateral movement and agility.

FORWARDS:

Looking at the forwards invited, center Ondrej Roman of the Sareza Ostrava midgets, made a big splash at camp and guaranteed himself a spot on the Under-16 team. Arguably the most complete and mature forward among the invitees, Roman impressed with his puckhandling prowess and an ability to unleash a quick wrist or slap shot from almost anywhere. Roman battled heavy traffic without significant trouble and showed a solid aggressiveness. He wasn't just a valuable force in the offensive zone, but was also effective in his own end displaying a strong defensive awareness.

Kladno midgets’ right winger Jan Blaha emerged as a potential sniper with his lethal play in the crease area. Blaha used his mix of above-average quickness and excellent hand-eye coordination to penetrate into most scoring lanes. He didn't hesitate to use his wide variety of shots and showed mature in-close finishing skills and instincts. He still needs improvement in his defensive play as he doesn't show much commitment to play defense and doesn’t always show a willingness to play in heavy traffic.

The best candidate for filling the position of a dependable role player who will do all the work in the trenches, but won't jump out at you with his set of skills is likely to be filled by Trinec midgets’ center Jan Maruna. Maruna plays with a strong attitude and never gives up any puck battle, no matter how big the opponent is. He displays creativity with the puck and is a deft passer while his strongest asset is his excellent defensive play. Maruna plays in his own zone with maturity beyond his age and he blocks the passing lanes and marks his man smartly. His stride is not the smoothest and he lacks a goal scorers’ soft hands, but he remains a valuable asset to the U-16 team due to his character.

1990 Birthdays:

Vitkovice midgets’ winger Jan Kana and Zlin midgets’ defenseman Milan Doczy made the biggest splash from the 1990 born youngsters. Both players have a real opportunity to stick with the team for most of the schedule and are locks to emerge as leaders of the 2005-2006 edition of the U-16 team if they fail to maintain their spot with the 1989 group. Though diminutive and stocky for his age, Kana boasts excellent vision, strong playmaking abilities to go along with his quick, effortless skating. However he must work on his accuracy and building up a greater array of shots.

Milan Doczy boasts an impressive frame for a 14-year old player and he showed a willingness to use it to his advantage and punish the opposition. The solid-skating Doczy filled a defensive role conscientiously and with sound positioning, but has yet to show a significant offensive upside. But for a player who played mostly at the 9th grade level last season he pulled off an impressive showing and given his age there is still lots of time for improvement.