When you leave on a journey your destination is almost always defined planned and plotted. In this case the plane tickets are in place and the hotels are booked however the outcomes are not only not defined but also a mystery. What is defined is that the roster possess a healthy mix of youth and experience as well as a group of players who live for the game of hockey. In HBO's 24/7 one of the first statements the narrator makes is that the sport of hockey becomes a kind of compulsion and no truer word can be spoken of the 2012 South African Senior Team and their desire to succeed.
It was well documented and well known that the players and the coaching staff have had a difference in opinion however the association has stepped up to the plate along with the coaching staff and provided the team with every opportunity to achieve this year.
The team departed the shores this week with their spirits sky high and the desire to achieve even higher. On the cards was a 2 game warm up stint in Romania. In Bucharest it was a semi professional outfit Steau Rangers who faced the South Africans. In the first game the team struggled with conditions and a lack of game time as a unit, amongst other things, which left the scoreboard ticked over at 8-0. South Africa was off the pace and totally outplayed. The following morning the team returned to the rink to practice forechecking, D Zone coverage and power play. The practice paid off tremendously and the guys managed a 7-6 result which although was not a victory it spoke volumes about the potential of the 22 players who participated.
Right now the team are travelling to Bulgaria via train with their tails up but also a sense that there is a long road ahead this coming week. They are under no illusions as to what lays in wait at World Championships. They will face teams who are prepared, motivated and desperate to climb the IIHF ladder however this time there is something very very different about the South African team...