Western Europe Bestern Europe

[CowboyinAmerica 2,913]

 

New York -- This year's World Cup of Hockey is now behind us, and for Team Western Europe, it was a time of ups and downs. The team entered the competition hoping to punch above its weight and did finish third in the round robin phase with a solid - if unspectacular - 5-5 record. However, the team did fail to find the medal stand once again, ultimately falling to fourth place after losing both the semifinals and the bronze medal match.

 

However, not all was a disappointment. Western Europe did win a crucial quarterfinal contest over rivals Eastern Europe, giving some continental bragging rights over the next two seasons.

 

"Maybe it's not the World Cup we wanted, but I think there's a lot to be proud of with our play," said center Antonia Bucatini. "It's something to build on for the next edition."

 

Indeed, there is reason to believe the future is bright for this Western Europe squad and medals may come in the near future. Of course, some part of that is the forward corps, including the Italian duo of Bucatini and Gianfranco del Rocco. But a big storyline this tourney was also the youth in goal - and Deadpanda will only likely improve from here to give Western Europe a top netminder.

 

With that in mind, the prevailing sentiment for the continental team is hope. "We're still learning to play together I think, we'll get there. With so many players from different teams, it takes time to gel," Bucatini added. "But with big wins like the Eastern [Europe] one, I can see the building blocks for a real dynasty here."