Everett Silvertips defenseman Ivan Baranka is headed back to the World Junior Championships.
The 19-year-old Baranka was selected to represent his native Slovakia at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championships on Dec. 25-Jan. 5 in Grand Forks, N.D.
| Opponent: Portland Winter Hawks When: 7 p.m. Where: Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore. Radio: KRKO (1380 AM) |
“I feel good about it,” Baranka said. “Obviously I’m proud to play for the Slovakian national team. It’s going to be good.”
Baranka also played for Slovakia at the 2004 World Juniors in Finland, where he registered a goal and an assist in helping Slovakia finish sixth.
“Obviously it helped me,” Baranka said about his experience at last year’s World Juniors. “Every tournament like this helps me by giving me more experience. I enjoy it. It’s the biggest junior tournament in the world. There will be a lot of great players there and I get the chance to play against them and with them.”
Baranka, who has three goals and seven assists for the Silvertips this season, expects Slovakia to improve upon its sixth-place finish.
“I think we should be better than last year in Finland,” Baranka said. “We have a better group of guys, maybe because more guys from Slovakia are playing here in the (Canadian Hockey League). So they’re going to have more experience in North America.”
Because the World Juniors are in the U.S. this year, Baranka is expected to miss fewer than the 11 games he missed last season. Baranka is expected to be with the team through its final game before the Christmas break on Dec. 18 in Portland.
The Silvertips are still awaiting word on whether 18-year-old left wing Karel Hromas will be selected by the Czech Republic.
Scouting report: Everett (15-7-3-2, 35 points, first in the U.S. Division) and Portland (13-10-1-3, 30 points, third in the U.S. Division) meet up for the fifth time this season tonight. Everett holds a 3-1 series advantage, most recently shutting out the Winter Hawks 3-0 on Nov. 19 at the Everett Events Center.
Portland captain Braydon Coburn, a 19-year-old defenseman, is expected back in the lineup. He missed Wednesday’s 2-1 home victory over Kelowna while playing for Team WHL at the Canada-Russia Challenge in Calgary.
Nineteen-year-old right wing Dan Da Silva (11 goals, 14 assists) and 19-year-old left wing Brian Woolger (nine goals, 16 assists) currently are tied for the team lead in scoring with 25 points. Twenty-year-old right wing Darrell May (nine goals, 14 assists) is questionable with an ankle sprain.
With 20-year-old Blake Grenier doubtful because of an ankle injury, 18-year-old Dustin Butler (10-8, 2.55 goals against average, .903 save percentage) is the likely starter in goal for the Winter Hawks.
Everett will be without captain Mitch Love for the second straight game. The 20-year-old defenseman is serving the second game of his two-game suspension for a boarding major and game misconduct picked up Sunday in Everett’s 4-4 tie with Calgary.
Nick Patterson, Herald writer
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