The Czechs have long been advocates of coming to Canada as juniors to  
  improve  
  their draft positioning or to learn the "NHL game" by playing junior  
  hockey.  
    
  That's the men. But now, the women have taken a similar approach and are  
  using  
  evolving hockey academies in southern Ontario to attend school, learn  
  English,  
  and, most important, become better hockey players.  
    
  Team captain Martina Maskova is attending the Canadian International Hockey  
  Academy in Rockland, not far from Toronto, and teammate Veronika Bucifalova  
  is  
  at the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, Ontario.  
    
  Indeed, these "prep schools" are a new concept for Ontario, cut from the  
  same  
  cloth as those popular institutions in the U.S. such as Shattuck-St. Mary's,  
  where Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Zach Parise all attended.  
    
  "Women's hockey in the Czech Republic is not very good," Maskova admitted.  
  "I  
  played only with boys in my country, and I wanted to play with girls, so I  
  came here. They contacted me and offered me a chance to go to school and  
  play  
  hockey, so I said for sure. I love it, but sometimes it's hard because my  
  family is so far away. I'm the only European on my team and I play with all  
  Canadians and U.S. girls, so sometimes I don't understand everything."  
    
  Bucifalova is in the same position, but the two are able to help each other  
  cope off ice with loneliness and that feeling of isolation. "We talk to each  
  other all the time. It's so nice to know someone who speaks Czech and who is  
  your friend."  
    
  What's admirable is that both girls have made the sacrifice in the name of  
  becoming better players.  
    
  "My dream right now is to become good enough to play in the NCAA and after  
  that to play in the Olympics," Maskova declared, a sentiment echoed by her  
  teammate.  
    
  "Yes, the same for me. Most of the girls on the team are trying to be good  
  enough to play in Canada or the U.S.. It's difficult, but I think as a team  
  we're getting better every year."  
    
  Bucifalova was scouted last year at the WW18 in Buffalo and jumped at the  
  chance to play at the Ontario Hockey Academy. "Hockey in Canada is just so  
  much better," she enthused.  
    
  Of course, it's a bit odd that two women from the same European country are  
  playing in southern Ontario-and on different teams. This has led not only to  
  the aforementioned friendship off ice but a healthy rivalry on it as the two  
  teams are in the same league.  
    
  "We play each other a lot," Bucifalova said with a grin. "Our teams are  
  about  
  even, so we've probably played four times and each won twice."  
    
  After only a slight pause, she added: "But when you're on the ice, it's not  
  about friends. It's about your team, and you try to win."  
    
  Their personal development is also intended to help their national team  
  thrive, of course, and after last year's bitter defeat in the bronze-medal  
  game, 5-1 to Russia, they hope to make amends in St. Catharines.  
    
  "I think we can beat Russia this year," Bucifalova declared. "We have so  
  many  
  rCy98 born players and many of those girls won a medal in Hungary two years  
  ago (1-0 against Russia, for bronze)."  
    
  Maskova agreed: "We have a lot of skilled players and a strong team now. I  
  think we can do it. We play as a team. We are always together. We cheer for  
  each other. The Russians don't do that."  
    
  "They play as individuals," Bucifalova chirped, smiling.  
    
  ANDREW PODNIEKS  
    
  http://u18worldwomen2016.iihf.com/en/news/maskova-bucifalova/  
  --- SBBSecho 2.32-Win32  
   * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)