#LANRZE

In today’s first Germany v Poland match in eWinner 2, Landshut hosted Rzeszow in the day’s first meet in the Polish leagues.

And it was the hosts who lead from Heat 1, when Germans, Kai Huckenbeck (11) and Martin Smolinski (9, pictured) started the match of with a 4:2 win.

The Polish team did draw level in Heat 7 when their eventual top scorer, Hubert Legowik (14) led a 1:5 victory. But after that Rzeszow never got close to the victory as the Germans, slowly but surely, closed in on the win. By the end they took the match 49:39.

Naturally, it was Huckenbeck who top scored for Landshut alongside Frenchman, Dimitri Berge (11).

#OPOWIT

After nearly winning their opening match in Germany, Wittstock Wolves were destroyed away at Opole this afternoon.

The Polish hosts won all of the first six heats, five of them with a 5:1.

And it didn’t stop there.

The final score was an unbelievable 69:21 with Jacob Thorssell scoring a paid maximum for the hosts and Danish U21 rider, Mads Hansen also getting in on the rout with 10 pts.

For the guests it was again, German U21 rider, Lukas Baumann that led the way with 10 pts, the only highlight in a dismal performance by the Wolves.

Today the two qualifiers for the U21 World Championships took place in Daugavpils and Gustrow.

Daugavpils

Motor Lublin’s Wiktor Lampart scored a maximum 15 pts to win the competition and Russian teammate, Mark Kairon also qualified with just one point less.

Latvians, Francis Gusts and Daniil Kołodinski used local knowledge to ensure their qualifications, whilst Ukraine’s Marko Levyshyn will return to the finals in 2021 after a brilliant finish with 3 wins after a poor start to the programme.

However, TV fans were treated to a four-man extra heat to decide the 6th and final place.

It was a third Latvian who made it to the final as Ernest Matjuszonok gated to win the deciding heat.

Sweden’s Philip Hellström Bängs failed to qualify when he came last in the race off. However, the real problem was an engine failure in Heat 14, which was the only heat he wasn’t first or second.

Wiktor Lampart POL 15

Mark Kairon RUS 13

Francis Gusts LAT 11+3

Daniil Kolodinski LAT 11+2

Marko Levyshyn UKR

Ernest Matjuszonok LAT +3

Full results, Daugavpils

Gustrow

This match was not televised but it was another Pole who is signed by an Ekstraliga club who won the competition. In Germany it was Częstochowa’s outstanding junior, Jakub Miskowiak who qualifying first from Gustrow. Assuming he maintains his current form, which places him at 13th in the Ekstraliga, the 19 year old will be the clear favourite when the competition begins in September.

The top six who qualified to the U21 World Championship are:

Jakub Miskowiak POL 14
Mads Hansen DAN 13+3
Jonas Seifert Salk DAN 13+2 (pictured)
Jan Kvech CZE 13+1
Alexander Woentin SWE 12
Steven Goret FRA 9

According to Speedwaynews.pl live updates, Australian Matthew Gilmore (5) was taken off in ambulance after being hit by Germany’s Lukas Baumann (7) riderless bike in heat 19.

Full results, Gustrow

The organizers will announce three wildcards in the coming days in addition to the 12 riders named above.

#RYBTAR

Tonight's first match was from eWinner 1 where one of the league's top teams, Rybnik, hosted the bottom team, Tarnow.

The visitors have not won a game this season and were again without Niels-Kristian Iversen. And just as it was for Kumla who were also without the injured Dane yesterday, it was another humilating defeat for Unia.

Australian, Rohan Tungate (8), was not able to carry the whole and Swedish U21 national champion, Alexander Woentin (6+2) continues the right way on his development curve.

But it will take more than that is the club are to avoid relagtion this year.

At the other end of the depot, Rybnik, are vying for a return to Ekstraliga. And more performances like this will help the cause. Rune Holta and Michael Jepsen Jensen (pictured) led the team with 14+1 and Sergei Logachev (11+1) put in a great performance a day before his first TAURON SEC appearance.

#TORWRO

Wroclaw continue to impress and currently look like the team to beat as they routed Torun, scoring over 50 points again against the newly promoted side. That meant they take the bonus point 75:105 after tonight's 36:54 drubbing.

Five English speaking riders were racing in Torun tonight, but on both teams it was Polish riders who top-scored for their teams. The only person to score in double figures for the home side was Pawel Przedpelski (11).

Meanwhile, the Holder brothers were tamed with Chris (4+2) scoring higher than younger brother, Jack (4) for one of the first times this season. European Champion, Robert Lambert scored 8 pts the day before he starts the defence of his title in Bydgoszcz.

For the victors, it was an SGP riders 1-2-3 with Maciej Janowski (14+1), Artem Laguta (13) and Tai Woffinden (11) scoring more than the entire Torun squad.

Dan Bewley (7+2) was the next highest scorer giving him confidence before go also joins his compatriot in tommorrow's TAURON SEC Round.

#LESCZE

Tonight's late match was between two teams chasing behind Wroclaw and, unlike the other two matches, was a close fought affair.

Home team Leszno held onto a slight lead from the opening heat until Heat 6 which was a 1:5 to the Danish pairing of Jonas Jeppesen (8) and Leon Madsen (9+1) from Czestochowa. Sweden's SGP rider, Fredrik Lindgren, also kept his team in contention, notching up 8+1.

But then four heats later the hosts took back the lead through an Australian pairing of Jason Doyle and Jaimon Lidsey (9+2) ,who also took a 5:1, to bring the scores to 31:29 with just five heats to go.

A brilliant piece of overtaking from Emil Satfutdinov (7+2) turned a 2:4 in Heat 14 to a 3:3 giving us a tie at 42:42 and the mouthwatering prospect of a deciding heat 15.

But Czestochowa's Danish duo were not up to the fight and by turn three of the first lap, Leszno's Janus Koledziej (13) and Jason Doyle (12+1) were in first and second to seal a dramatic 5:1 victory. That gave them the 47:43 and confirmed that the bonus point would also go to home side with a total of 96:84.

Västervik har lyckats väl med många av klubbens värvningar från Nordamerika de senaste säsongerna.

Gerry Fitzgerald utgör ett bra exempel i sammanhanget.

Nu byter den 27-årige centern allsvensk klubb.

Storklubben Björklöven blir nästa anhalt för kanadensaren.

Sportchefen Per Kenttä om tillskottet.

- Gerry är en ettrig centerforward som är bra på rören och väldigt giftig i det offensiva spelet. Vi har följt Gerry under en längre tid och han gjorde ett stort avtryck i Hockeyallsvenskan med Västervik innan han drabbades av en skada. Nu är en helt återställd från den skadan och är redo för en säsong med Björklöven, säger Västerbottensklubbens sportchef till klubbens hemsida.

David Quenneville - som mestadels spelade i ECHL den gångna säsongen, men även har AHL-meriter - är klar för spel i Europa för första gången i karriären.

Kontraktet med Oskarshamn sträcker sig över två säsonger.

Den 23-årige backen om sin spelstil.

- Definitivt en offensiv försvarsspelare. Jag älskar att skjuta mycket, flytta pucken snabbt till forwardsen, följa med i anfallen och generera målchanser och momentum där uppe. Jag gillar att spela aggressivt i båda ändar av isen, säger David Quenneville till IKO:s hemsida.

En intressant notering är att Quenneville NHL-draftades i sjunderundan för fem år sedan, utan att - åtminstone än så länge - ha fått chansen i världens bästa hockeyliga.

Daniel Zaar har blommat ut till en genuin stjärnspelare på SHL-nivå de senaste åren och varit delaktig i att Rögle kunnat utmana de bästa.

Nu är det officiellt att spetsforwarden lämnar Sverige.

Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod i KHL blir nästa äventyr för 27-åringen.

Den Tre Kronor-meriterade liraren har skrivit på ett tvåårsavtal, uppger klubben på hemsidan.

Zaar mäktade med hela 58 pinnar på 63 SHL- och SM-slutspelsbataljer den gångna säsongen.