Czechs checking out Sustr for WJHC

Special to The Vindicator

RAGUE, Czech Republic — Youngstown Phantoms defenseman Andrej Sustr was invited to the Czech Ice Hockey Association’s tryout camp for the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship.

“It is a great experience for me to be here and be a part of the national team [selection process],” said Sustr between Monday practices in Prague. “It’s a big honor to be considered among the top 40 or so players in the country for this event.”

The WJHC, also known as the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Under-20 Championship, will be held in January in Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

The Czech camp began Sunday and will run through Friday when the roster for the national junior team will be announced.

“Making the national team would be the most important thing to happen in my hockey career,” said Sustr, “I would have never had a chance to play for my country at such a level before.”

Sustr, a 6’6” 195 pound defenseman from Plzen, Czech Republic, was one of eight blueliners selected by the Phantoms following their five-day tryout camp June 10th through 14th in Boardman. He played for the Kenai River Brown Bears of the NAHL in 2008-09, with a goal and seven assists in 36 games.

“We’re extremely proud and excited for Andrej to have this opportunity,” said Phantoms assistant Curtis Carr. “This chance is excellent for him both personally and professionally. The Phantoms organization wishes Andrej all the best during the selection process.”

In the 2009 World Junior Championship, the Czech team finished in sixth place, falling to the USA National Team 3-2 in overtime in the fifth-place game.

The Youngstown Phantoms are entering their first season in the USHL, the country’s only Tier 1 hockey league. During the 2008-2009 season, 179 USHL players secured NCAA collegiate scholarships while the league boasted 97 active alumni in the NHL.