Photos: IIHF / Joan Reyes

Team Israel may not have received many plaudits for its campaign at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship in Spain, but what definitely caught everyone’s eye was the brilliant performance of one of its – and the tournament’s – younger players, Nikita Zitserman. The 15-year-old forward from Kfar Saba topped the goalscoring chart with eight goals, sharing the first spot with China’s Xu Ziheng.

Both prolific scorers have much in common – like age, for example. Zitserman was born on September 12th, 2008, while Xu is just five days younger. And both scored one goal each in a head-to-head clash.

But speaking about Nikita, not only should his quick hands and precise shot be mentioned, but also his tactical excellence. Six of his eight goals were scored on the power play, making him by far the most successful player of the tournament in numerical advantage situations.

One may argue that power play goals are easier to score. While this is not a foregone conclusion by any means, even if so, obviously, one must have some special abilities to capitalize on these occasions: tactical maturity, the ability to “read” the game and anticipate the play, as well as an extremely high level of understanding among the whole power play unit.

This reminds us that every goal is a result of a team effort, especially on the power play. And we must proudly add that over the course of the week, Evgeni Kozhevnikov’s men excelled in this department as a team. They scored 10 times from 28 attempts, and their 35.71% conversion rate was second, just a fraction behind Spain (11 for 29, 37.93%). These were just two teams with power play efficiency above 30%.

So, despite five losses, the Blue-and-Whites still have some reasons to be proud of themselves and some ground for hope that the future will bring them more wins and success.

Photos: IIHF / Joan Reyes

Despite a brave effort and a formidable second-period performance, Team Israel couldn’t secure its spot in Division IIB of the IIHF U18 World Championship, falling to a 3-5 defeat against Chinese Taipei. This means that next year our boys will be relegated to Division IIIA and will look for an immediate return to a higher level.

The Blue-and-Whites started their final game in Puigcedra with the right attitude, trying to take a grip on the proceedings, showing determination, and applying strong pressure on the opposition, but none of their 12 shots in as many minutes reached the net. Slowly, Chinese Taipei regained control, and in the closing minutes of the stanza, jumped to a 2-0 lead. This could have been a significant psychological blow for our youngsters, but they didn’t let frustration take charge. And right after the intermission, the comeback started.

It was helped by a power play duly converted by none other than Nikita Zitserman, who is showing signs of being a true master of play in numerical advantage situations. In the 24th minute, he scored his seventh goal of the tournament, six of which were power play goals. Just six seconds were needed to capitalize on Laio Kuei Jh’s penalty, and the impact was so strong that in another 69 seconds, Vasili Lysov leveled the score.

Right after the halfway mark, Zitserman proved that he could score in equal-strength situations as well. Taking a wide turn around the O-zone, he found his way to the goal and with a timely shot put our team in front, forcing Chinese Taipei’s coaching staff to change the goalie. At the second intermission, Israel went back to the locker room in pole position. With just 20 minutes of play remaining, everyone felt the mission was not impossible. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Chinese Taipei also showed some character and retaliated well enough to score four times in the final stanza, sending the Blue-and-Whites to the lower division. This was definitely not the outcome we all hoped for, but the team returns to IIIA with valuable experience and the hope of winning promotion back immediately. Being the youngest team of this year’s tournament, it will keep the core of the roster for next season and, beyond any doubt, will be among the top contenders for gold.

Photo: IIHF / Joan Reyes

Team Israel experienced its most significant setback at the 2024 U18 World Championship against Spain. The hosts, having competed in a higher division last season, were determined to secure a swift return to dominance on their home ice. It was evident from the outset that they would come out strong, which they did. Despite our team’s brave efforts, maintaining a respectable 2-0 scoreline at the first intermission, they eventually succumbed to the pressure, suffering an 11-1 defeat. At least, in the 48th minute, Vasili Lysov ensured they wouldn’t depart the ice without a goal to their credit.

With just one game day remaining, the Blue-and-Whites have their final opportunity to avoid relegation and secure their place in Division IIB for the next season. On Saturday, they will face opponents from Chinese Taipei, who currently sit fifth in the table with two points from today’s 5-4 overtime victory against Australia. This means that a regulation-time win would fulfill Evgeni Kozhevnikov’s team’s ultimate goal. It’s a winner-takes-all scenario, plain and simple.

Our final game at the Polisportiu in Puigcerda begins at 1300 local time (1400 in Israel).

Photos: IIHF / Joan Reyes

In the IIHF U18 World Championship IIB, 15-year-old Nikita Zitserman, one of the younger players, notched two more goals to his tally. However, despite his efforts, Team Israel succumbed to Australia with a disappointing 12-4 loss.

The game, however, was more competitive than the final score suggests. Our team made a valiant effort against the Australians, who held an advantage in pace and tempo. Both sides created scoring opportunities regularly, evident in the shot count of 38-29 in favor of Australia. It’s clear that the opponent’s goalie had a busy day in the net. The difference lay in capitalizing on those chances, a department in which the Aussies excelled.

This raises questions about experience, as U18 tournaments are crucial for learning. Some lessons are tough, yet invaluable in shaping future performances.

For players born in 2006, this U18 World Championship marks their final opportunity to shine at this level. Next year, they will no longer be eligible, leading to changes in team compositions. However, looking at the Israeli roster, only six players are scheduled for transition to another age group, indicating continuity within the team. In contrast, Australia boasts 12 players from the 2006 class, with none born in 2009, while Israel has two.

Already making an impact are forward Samson Goldshtein (born in April 2009), who tallied two points (1+1) yesterday against Bulgaria, and defenseman Artur Charniak, two months older, who registered two assists in today’s game. These players are thriving on the opportunity, gaining valuable experience for the future.

Israel started brightly, taking an early 2-0 lead. Zitserman scored his first of the day within two minutes, followed by Ariel Elkin just 69 seconds later. However, Australia quickly retaliated, leading 5-2 by the first intermission. In the second period, they added three more goals before Nick Ougortsin converted a powerplay goal six seconds before the buzzer. The final 20 minutes saw Zitserman netting his second marker, providing the only moment of joy for Evgeni Kozhevnikov’s team.

As emphasized, this journey is about more than just joy; it’s primarily about gaining experience. With a day of rest ahead, we will reflect on the lessons learned from the first two days of competition. The action resumes on Wednesday, March 20th, against China, with the game starting at 1630 local time (1730 in Israel).

Photo: IIHF / Joan Reyes

Team Israel U18 kicked off its IIHF U18 World Championship campaign with an exhilarating game against Bulgaria, ending on the wrong side of a 7-6 scoreline. Despite the loss, there were many positives for Evgeni Kozhevnikov’s team, notably the stellar performance of 15-year-old Nikita Zitserman, who netted a hat-trick on the Polisportiu ice in Puigcerda, Spain.

Last year in Iceland, Israel earned promotion to Division IIB, and as is customary for newcomers, their priority is to secure their spot at a higher level and demonstrate their belonging. Thus, avoiding finishing at the bottom of the six-team table is the primary goal. However, this task is easier said than done, as they face opponents who are well-versed in playing at this level.

Nevertheless, Kozhevnikov’s squad is undaunted by the challenge, drawing on the wealth of experience possessed by several players. Notably, eight skaters on the current roster, including defensemen Ori Moss Rendell, Itay Parasol, Nick Ougortsin, and Ariel Elkin, as well as forwards Vasili Lisov, Shon Kazinets, Yonatan Melnikov, and Itay Kerner, participated in last year’s tournament in Iceland. Three of them—Moss Rendell, Ougortsin, and Kerner—also contributed to a successful U20 World Championship campaign earlier this year, securing promotion to a higher level in January.

Zitserman, who has valuable experience playing for the U20 side, opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a powerplay goal. However, the lead was short-lived, and by the end of the first period, Israel found themselves trailing 3-1.

Melnikov initiated the comeback after the intermission, which was sealed in the 27th minute by another powerplay goal from Zitserman, assisted by Samson Goldshtein, the youngest player in the tournament, who will turn 15 on April 30th.

A minute later, Goldshtein himself scored in a 5-on-3 situation, putting Israel back in front. Elkin then added a shorthanded goal to make it 5-3. However, the Bulgarians retaliated once again, scoring three quick goals to carry a 6-5 advantage into the final stanza.

With 15 minutes remaining, Israel received another powerplay opportunity, and Zitserman capitalized once again, completing his hat-trick and reigniting hope for a positive outcome. However, it was not to be, as Boyan Iliev scored the decider in the 51st minute, securing the win for Bulgaria.

Despite the disappointing result, there is no time for frustration, as four more games are scheduled for this week. The next opponent is Australia, which lost 6-3 to China earlier today. The puck drops tomorrow at 1 pm local time (2 pm in Israel).