Setting the Bar High...

Facebook: by National Greek Ice Hockey Team on Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 8:22am

The President of the Hellenic Ice Sports Federation's decision to dismantle last year's National Team, despite the enormous success of the silver medal won at the World Championship 2010 DivIIIA which was held in Luxemburg, and to replace the best athletes with customer-players, has without a doubt closed the chapter of the Men’s NATIONAL Ice Hockey TEAM 2008-2010 for good, since hardly any players from last year's team will appear on the roster of the new "National Team", even though the players still have alot to offer.

Icehockey.gr, wanting to honor this team, remembers some of the accomplishments and also some historical facts in order for the younger in age to learn and the older to remember.

- Panagiotis Efkarpidis and Yannis Tilios have won bronze medal in 1992 as players and a silver medal in 2010 as coaches of Hellenic National Men's Ice Hockey Team.

- Orestis Tilios, Yannis Ziakas and Kostas Lembessis have won both National Team medals as players, bronze in 1992 and silver in 2010.

- Orestis Tilios, Yannis Ziakas, Kostas Lembessis and Dimitris Kalyvas were members of the First National Team created in 1989 and took part in the World Junior Championship Pool C held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

- Orestis Tilios and Yannis Ziakas have the most appearances in the Men's Nationals having played in all Men's World Championships (7 in total)

- Dimitris Kalyvas is top scorer in the history of the Greek National ice hockey team with 24 goals and 20 assists having played in 6 World Championships. He was top scorer of the Greek team in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 World Championships. Specifically, in the 2008 and 2010 he was overall top scorer of the World Championships as well.

- Also for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 World Championships, Dimitris was followed by John Koufiswith 13 goals and 7 assists, Nikos Papadopoulos with 4 goals and 16 assists and George Kalyvas with 10 goals and 9 assists.

- Libor Ploutsis was named Most Valuable Goalkeeper of the 2009 World Championships and although not being chosen as MVP goalie of the 2010 World Championship, he was by far the best goalie of the tournament, having a 94,44% SVS (Save percentage on shots on goal) with 5 goals in 90 shots.

- Nikos Papadopoulos was, based on statistics, the best defense of the 2008 and 2010 World Championships, having 4 goals and 16 assists.

- Themistoklis Lambridis was the Most Improved Player of the National Team during the past years, scoring the winning goal against Luxembourg that gave the silver medal to the National Team. Together with Alexandros Valsamas-Rallis and Iason Pachos they formed the "young line" (aka "Cone Heads") which gave hope to the veterans of the National Team, despite the lack of an ice rink in Greece, there was a bright future for the team.

Of course none of this would have been possible if the other players didn't also contribute to create this great TEAM. George Fiotakis, Lazaros Efkarpidis, Panagiotis Iatridis, Nikos Chatzigiannis, Giorgos Kouleles, Diogenis Souras and Kyriakos Adamidis.

All together they formed a strong group of people that came together under difficult conditions with one goal in mind, SUCCESS!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PLAYERS OF THE 2010 GREEK NATIONAL TEAM, THE BEST TEAM IN GREEK ICE HOCKEY HISTORY:

Giorgos Kalyvas, Orestis Tilios, Panagiotis Iatridis, Kostas Lembessis, Lazaros Efkarpidis, Giorgos Kouleles,  Themistoklis Lambridis, Alexandros Valsamas-Rallis, Iasonas Pachos, Giorgos Fiotakis, Spyros-Libor Ploutsis, Nikos Papadopoulos, Ioannis Ziakas, Diogenis Souras, Ioannis Koufis, Nikos Chatzigiannis, Kyriakos Adamidis and Dimitris Kalyvas.

We would like to specially thank the 2010 NATIONAL TEAM'S HEAD COACH IGOR APOSTOLIDIS, for his valuable support and guidance. Igor, in addition to being the coach, is also the best professional player who ever played on the Greek Men's National Team.

Also special thanks to coaches Panagiotis Efkarpidis and Mirel Dumitrake for their contribution over the years since everybody knows that almost all the players of the National team learned the tricks of hockey from them.

In closing we'd like to mention a few quotes that inspire the Hellenic National Ice Hockey Team:

«TOGETHER we stand, TOGETHER we fall, TOGETHER we win, and winners take ALL»

«Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success»

«Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results»

«You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals»