Unsung Hero of Team Asia

[Erik Summers 451]

Unsung Hero of Team Asia

 

With the closing of the World Juniors Championship, Team Asia astounded many with their Silver Medal finish. Several heroes have been mentioned when it comes to who was responsible for their unexpected run, from the MVP goal tending from Spyro, to the absolute dominance of Asia's top line, but I believe that one important name hasn't been mentioned nearly enough. Second line center, Dagmar Havlova, played with incredible consistency and leadership throughout the tournament.

 

The Stats

In ten games, Team Asia's second line was on the ice for sixteen goals. Dagmar got points on seven of those sixteen goals, but being a play-maker isn't always about getting on the point sheet. Havlova played a physical but disciplined style with seventeen hits and only two penalties; one of which was for a fight. That fight was at a pivotal moment for Asia in the middle of the tournament.

 

The Fight

In a chippy game six of the round robin against Team World, Dagmar dropped gloves against the evenly sized Ben McGirr. McGirr has a history of physical, and often dirty, play, so when he took a cheap shot at Havlova's line mate, Shush Nyko, one of the tournaments top scorers at this point, Dagmar didn't hesitate to make a statement. McGirr was happy to oblige and they both dropped gloves. The fight drug out, with each side landing some solid blows, but in the end the refs broke it up before a clear winner could be determined.

 

This served as a turning point, not only in the game, but in the team. Despite their winning record, Team Asia had struggled with discipline issues throughout the tournament, racking up more penalty minutes than any other team. However, from that point on, they became one of the least penalized teams in the tournament. Seeing their leader put it all on the line brought the team together to play for the group rather than for the individual.

 

The Goal

Dagmar capped off the game against Team World with an assist on the final nail in the coffin, guaranteeing them then first seed in the medal round, but that wasn't his most important point of the tournament. Early on, in their first match against Team Europe, the two teams were going back and forth, with neither side able to take a convincing lead. After a promising second period, Team Asia went down 3-2 early on in the third. That was when Havlova's line turned it on. First it was Ryo Yamazuki on the feed from Manzer to tie the game halfway through the period. Then, in closing minutes of the game, Manzer moves the puck into the Europe zone, dishes the puck to Yamazuki and, in his greatest highlight of the tournament, Havlova fire the game winner past Isak Sjostrom.

 

The crowd went crazy. The expected punching bag of the tournament had just taken a 4-3 lead late in the third period against the team many were ready to crown champions already. Sadly, despite defeating them twice in the round robin, Asia wasn't able to achieve the same result in the Gold Medal game. However, all of Asia's played, especially Dagmar and the rest of the second line should be extremely proud of overcoming the world's expectations and putting together a performance that will be remember for years to come.

 

@diamond_ace

Edited December 18, 2019 by Erik Summers