Czech Republic - Poland, 10 : 5

We were not very happy when we learned that our first opponent will be the team of Poland. Playing against a weaker opponent on paper may not exactly be an advantage because of the continued ice reading and therefore increased caution in otherwise clear-cut situations. The beginning was really a bit of a scratch and it wasn't until the fourth end that we used our offensive weapons, which earned us a four and a subsequent lead and advantage going into the second half. Except for one small hesitation, the Czechs managed the rest of the match and that means the first pleasant victory. The Canadians beat the well-playing Russians in the extra end, but otherwise there were clear victories for the Koreans, the Chinese (who we play in our second game today) and the Swedes.

Pictures of the likeable Polish girls (coached by Ussipaavalniemi) and our stubborn pursuit of a time-out.