Bhubaneswar (SB Report):-Argentina and Germany to contest the final of the FIH Odisha Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 after a thrilling day of hockey action. There was the drama of shoot-outs; plenty of goals, some outstanding saves and, as always, heartbreak and joy as the tournament approaches the grand finale. In Sunday’s final Argentina and Germany will be meeting each other for the second time after the European team beat the South American side in a  tight 4-3 pool match. The third place contest will be between France and host nation India – again two teams that met in the pool stage, where France were 5-4 winners. Semi-final 1: France 0-0 Argentina (1-2 Shoot-out) Nehuen Hernando in the Argentina goal was the difference separating the two combatants in the first semi-final. In a tournament that had yielded so many goals, the 0-0 score-line at full-time was an indicator of the tense and tight nature of this game. During the match, France and Argentina played a canny game with neither side willing to take risks and push for a win. In previous matches both teams had played with an all-out attacking mindset; this was far from the case as the two teams probed and tested each other. For both teams, this was a totally different style of play with Argentina adapting to it quickest and looking the more dangerous in the early stages. During the first half, Argentina won three penalty corners to one French penalty corner, but neither side was able to capitalise. Both teams have great game managers in the shape of their captains Timothee Clement of France and Facundo Zarate of Argentina. What we saw during this match was these two players controlling their defences but further up the field a fear of mistakes inhibited the movement and decision-making of the midfield and forward players of both teams. Argentina goalkeeper Nehuen Hernando saved the first French attempt by Antonin Igua but Argentina’s advantage was lost when Zarate saw his attempt fly wide. Corentin Sellier then stepped up for France but Hernando again held his nerve to keep the striker out and it was Bautista Capurro who coolly scored his attempt and sent his side through to the final on Sunday, where they will meet Germany. Argentina’s captain Facundo Zarate said: “We are very happy and very proud. We trained very hard to get here and we have done well. Now we have to play another 60 minutes. “We are going to prepare like we have for the other matches. We are going to prepare equally well and play equally well.” A hugely disappointed Timothee Clement said: “It was a good game for the two teams. It is hard to lose in the semi-final. Now we focus on getting third place.” Semi-final 2: India 1-4 Germany Going into this match, both India and Germany had been through tough encounters with Belgium and Spain respectively and the tempo of the opening quarter reflected this. Here were two teams working at a high intensity and an equally high quality of competition. However, it was Germany who got the advantage in the opening quarter when Eric Kleinlein slotted home from a penalty corner to put his team ahead at the first break. That lead was doubled in the 21 minute when Philip Holzmüller scored. From this point on there was little doubt about the outcome. Germany scored twice more – through Julius Hayner and Kleinlein again and any Indian attacking moves were closed down by the German defence. India did score. Surdeep Chimarko made it 3-1 and gave his team hope but Head Coach Graham Reid will be disappointed that his side failed to deliver the creativity and speed that had been their hallmark in earlier games. The second Indian goal came in the final minute and was scored by Boby Dhami. Player of the Match, Masi Pfandt said: “It is a pleasure for me to stand here and I am so happy to be in the final. We played as a team. We know Argentina is a good team, we played them in the pool [Germany won 4-3] and it was tight but if we play as we did today, then we have a good chance of winning” India’s captain Vivek Prasad said: “It was a great match and a very tight match. Germany played very well and congratulations to them. I hope we can win bronze. That is what we will focus on now. “France is a great team. They beat us in the pool match [5-4] so it will not be easy but we will do our best.” In the 5th-8th place classification matches, Belgium overcame Spain and Netherlands comfortably beat Malaysia. The match reports are below. Belgium 2-2 Spain (4-3 shoot-out) Earlier in the day Belgium squeezed every last ounce of effort to haul in and eventually overcome Spain. This was a game that went to the wire, with Spain dominating the opening half with two goals from Pau Cunill giving the Spanish team a 2-0 cushion at half-time. Belgium fought back with goals from Jeremy Wilbers and Thibeau Stockbroekx to force a shoot-out. An efficient and calm performance from the Belgium players, combined with some very good goalkeeping by Pierre de Gratie saw the Belgium team win the shoot-out with relative ease. Player of the Match Thibeau Stockbroekx said: “We didn’t start so well but I tried to keep the team up. The second half was for us and I think we did really well. In the first half we were lacking of energy and the basics were not there. At half-time, we discussed it, we put some energy in the team and that helped us a lot.” For Spain, the result was the second disappointment following their defeat at the hands of Germany in the previous round. Alvaro Portugal said: “It’s a little bit like two days ago against Germany. We had the lead almost all the match and then at the end we conceded two goals. We have to improve that. We cannot permit that. We had another chance but we didn’t not convert it. This is a bit frustrating. It’s disappointing but it is what it is.” Netherlands 9-3 Malaysia The second match saw Malaysia steamrollered in the opening quarter by a Netherlands team intent on making up for their previous match, where they lost to Argentina. Three goals in 15 minutes gave Netherlands a cushion to launch further attacks, although Malaysia rallied to shut down the Dutch in the second quarter. The third quarter, however, saw Netherlands once more  pile the pressure on with a further three goals, with Luke Dommershuijzen chalking up a hat trick. The last few minutes of fourth quarter was a wholly different affair as Malaysia threw caution to the wind and went in search of goals of their own. They had already scored a consolation through Mohammad Khalid but in the 59th minute Akimullah Anuar found the net before his teammate Firadus Rosdi added a third. However, Netherlands also kept pushing and added three more goals of their own. The final score of 9-3 underlined the difference in performance and speed of play between the two teams on this occasion. Player of the Match Luke Dommershuijzen said: “After Wednesday’s match [in which Netherlands lost to Argentina], it was hard to play but it was good today. “Our match against Belgium will be a hard game but we trust in our systems and we also trust everyone in the team.”

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-The semi-final between Serbia and Croatia will be the latest instalment of an old rivalry, even if the players are all friends. It will also pit the world No.1 singles player against the world No.1 doubles team. Whenever Croatia faces Serbia, it’s about more than just tennis. “There is a big rivalry obviously being neighbouring countries, and there is always an extra pressure, an extra motivation, extra expectations I think for both nations to really win against each other”, says Novak Djokovic. “It’s not just semi-finals, it’s Croatia against Serbia, which has extra meaning for us.” Friday’s last-four clash in Madrid will be just the third time Croatia and Serbia have faced off in Davis Cup since they became independent nations following the break-up of Yugoslavia. Both of the previous meetings have gone Serbia’s way. The first came in Split in 2010 when Serbia won 4-1 in the quarter-finals en route to winning the competition. Then, like now, Djokovic was Serbia’s leading man, winning both of his singles matches against Ivan Ljubicic and Marin Cilic in straight sets. “I remember it really well and I even have a few photos from that tie”, Cilic recalls. “I couldn’t believe how young we were. It was incredible to play in Croatia, really loud fans, special atmosphere. In the end Novak played incredible over the weekend. With that victory of them in the Davis Cup, Novak got an incredible boost for the 2011 season. So Davis Cup again showed a lot of great emotions and positivity. Those experiences are incredible for everyone’s career.” “It’s not just semi-finals, it’s Croatia against Serbia, which has extra meaning for us" (Novak Djokovic) In 2015, Serbia beat Croatia again, although this time it was a 5-0 thrashing in Kraljevo. Viktor Troicki, who won both of his singles matches in that whitewash six years ago, now hopes to inspire Serbia as captain. “It's a completely new role for me. First year as a Davis Cup captain, being on the team for so many years as a player, I have experienced everything, but this is a whole different level, being in the court and supporting the players. Nice memories against them [Croatia]. Of course we are going to go for a win. Hopefully the streak will continue.” While the national rivalry is impossible to ignore, it’s not something that leads to friction between the players. If anything, the opposite is true, with the country’s ties bringing them all closer. “We get along extremely well”, Cilic says about the two teams. “During the season we’re practising all the time, hanging out together. With Novak I’ve been great friends since childhood. Krajinovic has been working with my fitness coach for a while. Borna [Gojo] was practising in Belgrade. So there is great connection with their team.” Djokovic believes the tie, while competitive, will be an opportunity to showcase the camaraderie between the sides. “I think regardless of what happens on the court, what is really nice in the sense of [a] really positive message out there is the respect and the friendship with these guys that we have on and off the court. These are great guys.” Speaking after midnight following Serbia's comeback against Kazakhstan, Djokovic added: “It’s been a long day. When you're not on the court, you're also emotionally involved in every match. You're cheering, you're supporting. It's very different from any individual tournament. So it's always great to have a day rest where you can recalibrate, recuperate all the necessary energy for not just your match but other matches, as well, and giving support, being there for your teammates.” “Borna and Nino back in Italy played amazing”, says Cilic. “They played above their usual match level and we hope those experiences are going to boost them for a great 2022 season. We know they can play a high level and they really fed off the team atmosphere and the captain and played amazing tennis.” Whatever happens, with Serbia looking to reach its third Davis Cup final and Croatia its fourth, both nations continue to punch above their weight in tennis, and Cilic is well aware that this is a tremendous opportunity. “Considering we are coming from such small countries and making such a great impact in tennis, it’s incredible. It’s so great for our nations to be in this position. Whoever wins is going to be in the final of Davis Cup and that’s an incredible achievement for both countries.”

Karachi (Sports Report):-Northern recorded their first win of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season as they thumped Central Punjab by nine wickets while table-toppers Sindh consolidated their position at the top with a 127-run win over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Southern Punjab and Balochistan meanwhile played a draw as the seventh-round matches concluded today in three Karachi venues. At the UBL Sports Complex, Southern Punjab and Balochistan played out a draw. Resuming their second innings at the overnight 37 for no loss, Southern Punjab were bowled out for 311 in 78 overs. Opener, Tayyab Tahir were top scorer with 86 off 183 balls (nine fours, one six). First innings centurion Yousuf Babar maintained his fine form in the second innings with 63 off 86 balls (12 fours). Left-arm-spinner Kashif Bhatti who scored a fifty in Balochistan’s first innings completed a fine all-round performance with a four-wicket haul with the ball, Akif Javed took three wickets for 41 runs. Balochistan had reached 24 for no loss when stumps were drawn for the fourth and final time in the match. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which was live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, left-armer Mir Hamza’s stunning six-wicket haul helped Sindh register their second successive victory of the season as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were defeated by 127 runs. Resuming their second innings at 13 for no loss (258-run target), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were rolled over for 130 runs shortly after lunch on the final day. Hamza generated seam and swing and bowled a probing spell making regular inroads. Captain Iftikhar Ahmed (44 off 61 balls, seven fours) was KP’s top-scorer with Sahibzada Farhan contributing 39. Hamza collected the 27th five-wicket haul of his career, he was ably support by pacer Mohammad Hasnain who took two wickets. Sindh who were on the backfoot after conceding a 120-run first innings lead have now further strengthened their position at the top of the six-team table by earning a total of 19 points from the match. KP settled with eight points based on their first innings supremacy. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Northern wrapped-up a comfortable nine-wicket win with-in the first hour on the fourth-day. Central Punjab were bowled out for 207 after resuming their first innings at the overnight 197 for nine. Off-spinner Mubasir Khan who recorded his maiden first-class five-for yesterday took the final wicket to finish with impressive figures of 24.2-8-43-6. Northern lost opener Muhammad Huraira (6) but the pair of Zaid Alam and Rohail Nazir took the past the 20-run target. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab vs Balochistan, match drawn at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab 483 all out, 117.5 overs (Salman Ali Agha 135, Yousuf Babar 119 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 102; Kashif Shehzad 3-63, Akif Javed 3-78) and 311 all out in 78 overs (Tayyab Tahir 86, Yousuf Babar 63; Kashif Bhatti 4-52, Akif Javed 3-41) Balochistan 606 all out, 124 overs (Ayaz Tassawar 149, Bismillah Khan 125, Shan Masood 105, Kashif Bhatti 71; Hassan Khan 3-27, Aamer Yamin 2-63) and 24 for no loss, 5 overs. Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 127 runs at State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Sindh 145 all out, 42.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 31, Faraz Ali 31; Irfanullah Shah 5-43, Asif Afridi 3-16) and 377 all out, 124.1 overs (Khurram Manzoor 107, Saad Khan 89 not out, Asad Shafiq 83; Irfanullah Shah 4-51, Asif Afridi 3-112) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 265 for 9 (declared) 64.1 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 75, Asif Afridi 50, Iftikhar Ahmed 40; Sohail Khan 5-82, Mir Hamza 3-62) and 130 all out, 44.1 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 44, Sahibzada Farhan 39; Mir Hamza 6-33, Mohammad Hasnain 2-49) Northern beat Central Punjab by nine wickets at National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 445 for 8 (declared), 106 overs (Haider Ali 206, Faizan Riaz 67, Mohammad Huraira 54; Mohammad Ali 3-68) and 20 for 1, 7.3 overs. Central Punjab 257 all out, 71.5 overs (Hussain Talat 51, Imran Dogar 43; Haris Rauf 6-47, Mubasir Khan 2-38) and 207 all out, 77.2 overs (Ali Zaryab 71, Imran Dogar 55; Mubasir Khan 6-43, Haris Rauf 3-62)

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 3, 2021):-Bahawalpur Disabled cricket team has clinched the title of ICRC Presents SAF National Disabled T20 Cricket Championship after beating Islamabad by six wickets in the final on the World Day of People with Disabilities on December 3 played at DHA Sports Club Moin Khan Cricket Academy Ground Karachi on Friday. According to available information from Karachi, the final of National Championship organized by Pakistan Physical Disability Cricket Association (PDCA), ICRC Head of Sub Delegation Peshawar Farrukh Islamov, Former Pakistan Cricket Team Captain Moin Khan, COO Shahid Shahid Afridi Foundation and Country Head Mohammad Rizwan,Disabled Cricket founder Saleem Karim, former Test cricketer Tauseef Ahmed and ICRC Head of Communication Fiza Bangash distributed prizes on the occasion. Disability Cricket Association Secretary Amiruddin Ansari, Imran Latif, Tournament Secretary Jamil Kamran and Tauseef Shah were also present on this eve.  After winning the toss in the final, Islamabad Disabled scored 133 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Usman Paracha scored 45 runs off 43 balls with the help of four fours while Raja Ali Abbas scored 30 off 19 balls, Adil Abbasi scored 24 off 22 balls and Mohammad Noman scored 15 runs.From Bahawalpur Disabled, Abdul Khaliq took two wickets while Mohammad Asif and Kashif Abbas took one wicket each.  In reply, winner Bahawalpur Disabled achieved their target of 134 runs for four 18.1 overs. Abid Hussain was the top scorer with 41 runs off 28 balls with the help of 6 fours. Captain Mohammad Shehzad scored unbeaten 36 runs included a four and a six. Mohammad Noman scored 26 off 20 balls with the help of 5 fours. Hamad Shaukat and Waqif Shah took one wicket each for Islamabad Disabled.  Mohammad Noman of Bahawalpur Disabled was declared the best batter and player of the tournament while Waqif Shah of Islamabad Disabled was declared the best bowler, Ashfaq Shakir of Lahore Disabled the best fielder and Abid Hussain of Bahawalpur Disabled decleard man of the match. Hafiz Ghulam Mohammad of Multan Disabled was also given a special award for scoring a century off just 27 balls in the National Championship. Talking to media on the occasion, the special guest Farrukh Islamov, Head of Sub-Delegation of ICRC Peshawar, assured full cooperation with PDCA in the future as well and termed the championship as a successful event.

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (December 3, 2021):-Lahore and Faisalabad have won the title of Inter-Board Sports Gala 2021 that concluded at Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad on Friday. Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Faisalabad lifted the Men’s title while Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore claimed the Women’s title. Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education and Vocational Training Wajiha Qamar graced the closing ceremony as chief guest to distribute the prizes amongst the girls and boys. In Inter Board Sports Gala 2021, Around 840 female students participated in 3 different sports disciplines. BISE Lahore won the title, FBISE second and BISE Abbottabad third.  In hockey, BISE Lahore won the title and BISE Faisalabad and Larkana secured second and third positions respectively. While in Athletics BISE Lahore got the first position and BISE DG Khan and FBISE got the second and third position respectively.

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-Zeeshan Nazir from 24 News overcame experienced Mohsin Raza in the final of snooker event of the SSB-SJAS Sports Festival at the Legend Snooker Club. According to details, 24 journalists from different media houses participated in the event where Zeeshan Nazir played aggressively and beat Faizan Lakhani of Geo News in the semifinal and then outclassed tournament favorites Mohsin Raza in the best of 3 final. Later, President PBSA Irfan Motan distributed prizes along with Hanif Lakhani and Senior Vice president of SJAS Zubair Nazeer Khan.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 3, 2021):-Pakistan will meet India on December 17, 2021 in the Asian Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy (AMHCT), as the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced a 20-member national hockey squad on Friday. Asian Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy is scheduled to be rolled off from December 14, at Dhaka, Bangladesh. According to an official of PHF, Mohammad Umar Bhatta will lead the Pakistan team while Ali Shan will be his deputy during the 9-day international hockey showpiece. Besides Pakistan, India, Republic of Korea, Japan, Malaysia and the hosts Bangladesh team will fight for top honour. Green Shirts will face Japan in their first match of the championship on December 14, 2021. Names of selected players: Waqar (Wapda), Abdullah Ishtiaq (Mari Petroleum), Fullbacks: Mubashir Ali (Wapda), Ammad Shakeel Butt (National Bank), Tazeem ul Hassan (Mari Petroleum), Mohammad Abdullah (Mari Petroleum), Aqeel Ahmed (Mari Petroleum) Halfbacks: Abu Bakar Mahmood (National Bank), Moin Shakeel (WAPDA), Hamad-ud-Din Anjum (WAPDA), Ghazanfar Ali (Mari Petroleum, Azfar Yaqoob (Sui Southern Gas)) Forwards: Mohammad Umar Bhatta (WAPDA), Ali Shan (Sui Southern Gas), Ejaz Ahmed (WAPDA), Rana Waheed (WAPDA), Junaid Manzoor (National Bank), Afraz (Mari Petroleum), Ahmed Nadeem (Mari Petroleum) and Mohammad Salman Razzaq (WAPDA). Olympian Khawaja Junaid will perform the duties of head coach while other two coaches including Olympian Syed Sameer Hussain (PAF), Ajmal Khan Lodhi (Sialkot) will be assistants. Nadeem Khan Lodhi (Sialkot) and Dr Syed Asad Abbas will be other team officials. Schedule: December 14, 2021 India Vs Korea Malaysia Vs Bangladesh Pakistan Vs Japan December 15, 2021 India Vs Bangladesh Pakistan Vs Malaysia Japan Vs Korea December 17, 2021 Bangladesh Vs Korea Japan Vs Malaysia Pakistan Vs India December 18, 2021 Japan Vs Bangladesh Malaysia Vs India Pakistan Vs Korea December 19, 2021 India Vs Japan Malaysia Vs Korea Pakistan Vs Bangladesh

Karachi (Sports Report):-The 10th Essa Lab National Seniors and Juniors Tennis Championship will start from Saturday (December 3, 2021) at the hard courts of Modern Club Karachi. According to an official of Sindh Tennis Association (STA), Dr. Essa Laboratory & Diagnostic Center is the sponsor of this prestigious annual national fixture of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) circuit tournament. Karachi Tennis Association is organizing the event under the auspices of PTF/ STA. Mohammad Khalid Rehmani will be the tournament referee while Sarwar Hussain will act as Tournament Director. The organizers have received 150 entries in various events. Asad Zaman of Lahore is top seed in both Under 16 and Under 14 Singles, Zohaib Afzal Malik of Lahore is top seed in Under 12 Singles. Natalia Zaman top seed in Girls Under-18 Singles, Farhan Altaf in Men’s Singles and Rashid Ali of Hyderabad in Under 10 Singles.

Saint Lucia (SB Report):-The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have partnered with SAYTV to create a market leading live chat app for cricket lovers to discuss the Hero CPL and the other cricketing events around the world all year-round. Although fans can use the app to chat with other users at any time, the first feature event taking place in the app will be a Q&A session with cricket legend and Hero CPL’s Director, International Cricket, Tom Moody. He will be joining CPL chat app users to talk about the India vs New Zealand Test series, the Big Bash T20 tournament in Australia and the Abu Dhabi T10 on the 5 December 2021 during the Big Bash match between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars which gets underway at 8:15am GMT. SAYTV was launched into the German market in March 2021 with the intention of making an all-in-one social chat platform for everything TV related while ensuring an inclusive and friendly chat community welcoming everyone. Since then, the company has begun entering partnerships to create state-of-the-art live chat and entertainment technology for their clients.  SAYTV provides an easy to navigate app interface with engaging community features such as Quiz, breakout rooms, loyalty badges and more. A fully developed in-app store gives the opportunity to offer CPL specific emoticons, avatars, and custom wallpapers to give fans a truly immersive experience. Paula Raithel, SAYTV’s co-founder and CMO, said: “SAYTV provided the official live chat app for the CPL T20 tournament in August 2021. The collaboration was a tremendous success. Within a few days the CPL Chat App gathered an amazing Cricket community, sharing their thoughts and celebrating together. “Now looking forward to the future, we are excited to announce that the CPL and SAYTV have entered into a long-term partnership to provide CPL fans worldwide with a safe, inclusive, fun experience chat app.” Chris Watson. Hero CPL’s Head of Marketing, said: “We are always striving to bring our fans closer to the action and provide a way for them to engage with the league on a year-round basis. SAYTV’s fantastic chat app allows you to do just that. We were delighted with the success of the live chat app during this year’s tournament, and we are very much looking forward to this long-term partnership.” 

Andrew Podnieks When Mark Johnson was a wee sprite of a lad, he was part of what the IIHF later called the greatest moment in international hockey history, leading the U.S. to a Miracle on Ice gold medal at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. Johnson led all Americans with 11 points and scored two goals in the Miracle game, a 4-3 win over the heavily-favoured Soviet Union. As he celebrated with teammates and basked in this extraordinary glory, he could never have seen a day a quarter of a century later when he would be coaching a women’s hockey team in college or that four decades later he would be the winningest coach in NCAA women’s hockey history. Yet that where he’s at today, coaching the University of Wisconsin Badgers for a 19th season, a team that earned its sixth national championship under Johnson last year and which is now undefeated in 16 games to start the 2021/22 season. Their only blemish to date is a scoreless tie with Bemidji State a couple of weeks ago. You can’t be a good coach if you don’t have good players, and good players won’t come to your college unless you have a good coach. Yet from the very start in 2002, Johnson recruited well and won, year after year. The Badgers won the title last spring thanks to an overtime goal from Daryl Watts, a Toronto native who played for Canada at the 2016 and 2017 Women’s U18 team. Watts is back for a fifth year. She is the only freshman ever to win the Patty Kazmaier Award, which she did in 2018 with Boston College, before transferring. She is currently third on the team in scoring with 28 points in 16 games, and she is one of many players from both sides of the border to have loads of U18 experience. Consider the team’s top scorer, Makenna Webster, who is tearing the NCAA apart with 33 points in 16 games. She also played at three U18’s, winning gold in 2018 and 2020 and silver in between. Casey O’Brien, a 20-year-old forward, was teammates with Webster in ’18 and ’19 and in second in Badgers’ scoring so far this season. Indeed, Webster, O’Brien, and Watts are 1-2-3 in NCAA Division I scoring overall. Goalie Kennedy Blair, meanwhile, has played in 14 of the team’s 16 games and leads the NCAA with 13 wins and five shutouts. She was the winning ‘tender in last year’s championship after transferring from Mercyhurst. Other Americans on the current Badgers’ team with WW18 experience include defender Natalie Buchbinder (2017), forward Delaney Drake (2017), Grace Bowlby (2015, 2016), and Nicole Lamantia (2017). Lacey Eden played at the 2019 and 2020 Women’s U18 and then made the leap to the top level, playing at the Women’s Worlds in Calgary this past August. The 19-year-old had two assists in five games, winning silver. Britta Curl played at the 2018 U18 and joined Eden on the team in Calgary, playing three games and scoring the game-winning goal in a 6-0 win over ROC during the preliminary round. Among the Canadians, the Shirley sisters from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan are prominent. Sophie, the older at 22, played at the 2016 and 2017 U18’s and was named IIHF Directorate Best Forward in the latter. A great skater, she in the kind of talent who will certainly play for Canada’s senior team sooner rather than later. Her younger sister, Grace, followed Sophie and played at the ’18 and ’19 WW18s against, among others, Webster and Eden. Marianne Picard played for Canada at the 2020 WW18 alongside Sarah Wozniewicz; Daryl Watts played in 2016 and 2017; and, Brette Pettet played in 2017. Maddi Wheeler played in 2019 and 2020. In all, an incredible 15 players on this year’s Badgers team have WW18 experience on their resume. It’s no wonder they are undefeated. Johnson’s successes are long and rich. Alumna to his program include all-time scorers Meghan Duggan and Hilary Knight as well as a who’s who of IIHF women’s hockey stars, including Brianna Decker, Sarah Nurse, and Meaghan Mikkelson, and goalies Alex Rigsby (now known by her married name, Alex Cavallini) and Ann-Renee Desbiens. Johnson has also coached five women to Kazmaier Award success – Sara Bauer (2006), Jessie Vetter (2009), Meghan Duggan (2011), Brianna Decker (2012), and Ann-Renee Desbiens (2017). At the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, there were nine Badgers in the tournament, five Canadian and four American. Johnson has now won more than 550 games with the Badgers and led them to national championships in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019, and 2021. The only time he hasn’t been behind the bench in the last two decades was for 18 games during the 2009/10 season when he took a leave of absence to coach the U.S. National Team at the Olympics in Vancouver. He won’t be coaching in Beijing, but his Badgers are clear favourites to repeat as champions this year. They have the experience, the skill, the scoring and goaltending. Really, what’s to stop them?