Jun 26, 2009

Kristyna Hnizda Competes in FIL Women's World Cup

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Stevenson University women's lacrosse junior Kristyna Hnizda was one of 18 players, including just two Americans, who represented the Czech Republic in the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) Women's World Cup June 17-27.

Hnizda, whose parents are both Czech making her eligibile to compete for their native country, made her international debut last summer for the Czech Republic A team in the 2008 Prague Cup that featured 12 teams from six countries.

In three seasons with at Stevenson, Hnizda has totaled 73 points on 68 goals and five assists while adding 92 draw controls and 44 ground balls. This year, she scored a career-high 31 goals along with 22 draw controls and 17 ground balls.

Kristyna's Blog

Overall, my experience in Czech was a very rewarding one and I am very happy that I was able to play in the FIL World Cup. I made a lot of new friends and had a lot of great experiences!

The atmosphere of the tournament was great! It was awesome to see many people come together and play some truly great lacrosse!

This trip is one that I will never forget and I am truly blessed to have been able to compete in the tournament.

Saturday, June 27

The last day of the tournament!

Today, the final two games of the tournament were played. The bronze medal and gold medal games. For third place, Canada beat England in a very well-played game. The USA beat Australia to capture the championship after a hard fought game.

After the final game, the closing ceremony took place where all the teams marched into the stadium. Then, the awards were given out for the top finishing teams.

Later that day, the closing party was held in a four-level club in the stadium. After dinner, various awards were given out and for the remainder of the night, all the teams celebrated a great tournament and had a great time!

Friday, June 26

Czech Republic 15, Germany 5
Box score | Photos | Video

Today, we played our final game in the 2009 FIL World Cup. We played Germany for 9th place. We came out on fire and then kept playing well to give us a win of 15-5 over the Germans. It was a very positive note to end the tournament on.

We finished 9th in the tournament out of 16 teams. This is a good placing for the Czech team and with a very positive note to finish on!

Tomorrow, we will play an exhibition game in between the 3rd and 1st place games.

Thursday, June 25

Czech Republic 12, Haudenosaunee 7
Box score | Photos | Video

Today, we played Haudenosaunee in a tough match. We ended up winning 12-7. Haudenosaunee played with a different style then we were used to and it took a little time to get used to. But once we dissected their style of play and altered ours to work for us, the game picked up and we were able to score more goals and play well.

I ended up getting MVP of the game! (Kristyna totaled three goals on three shots with two draw controls, two caused turnovers and a ground ball.)

Overall, today was a good game for us and it was a great preparation for our final tournament game tomorrow against Germany!

Wednesday, June 24

Czech Republic 23, South Korea 0
Box score | Photos | Video

South Korea is a new team to the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). They are still a very developing team however I was impressed with their playing. They got several shots off and were very supportive of each other. We worked on moving the ball around quickly and looking for the best opportunities to score.

Tomorrow we play Haudenosaunee, our second to last game of the tournament!

Tuesday, June 23

Ireland 21, Czech Republic 10
Box score | Photos | Video

We played Ireland today in a tough match and lost 21-10. The Irish just came out fighting and got out on top right away. It was hard to play catch up the rest of the game and it took a big toll out on us as the final score reflects.

We will re-group tonight and get prepared for our next game against South Korea tomorrow.

Monday, June 22

Czech Republic 15, New Zealand 3
Box score | Photos | Video

Today, we had our final game of pool play against New Zealand where we won, 15-3. In preparation for the game, we were trying to focus on good ball movement and running through all of our set plays. Also, our defense focused on getting the pressure defense perfected.

Tomorrow, we play Ireland in a playoff game that is crucial in order to place well in the upcoming games of the tournament!

Sunday, June 21

Wales 12, Czech Republic 8
Box score | Photos | Video

Today, we played the third game of our tournament. We worked this morning on trying to fix the biggest problems that we had in our attack. We applied them to our game against Wales, but despite our efforts, we lost 12-8. However, we made great strides in perfecting our attack and transition game.

Tomorrow we play New Zealand at 5:45 PM.

Saturday, June 20

Czech Republic 8, Germany 4
Box score | Photos | Video

We had a game against Germany today and we won 8-4!! Germany has always been a tough opponent because they are so close to the Czech Republic. Its a big country rivalry. We fixed some problems from the Scotland game, but we still have some more work to do before we play Wales tomorrow!

Friday, June 19

Its a a little rainy today so its a good thing that we have no games scheduled. We are just watching other teams' games. We have a team meeting at 2:30 to discuss the game plan for our game against Germany tomorrow. Also, we are just trying to put the loss against Scotland behind us and move forward and focus on not being so nervous and playing the game that we are trained to and capable of.

Thursday, June 18

Scotland 8, Czech Republic 6
Box score | Photos | Video

Today was our first game of the tournament. We played team Scotland at 2:30. The beginning of the game got off to a great start as we put in the first goal. Then, Scotland put in one of their own and it became a back and forth game. At the half, we were down, but not far from coming back. In the end, we could not put together a full 60 minutes in order to win the game and lost 8-6.

This was a tough loss and it hit home pretty hard with a lot of the girls. Scotland has always been a big opponent for us but I am hoping that a loss to them in our first game will help fuel us for the upcoming games and into the rest of the tournament.

I hope tomorrow we can regroup and get ready to take it to Germany on Saturday!

Wednesday, June 17

Around noon today the team moved into the Hotel Slavia. We had a short practice later that day and then got ready for the Opening Ceremony and the beginning of the World Cup. The ceremony was really nice as all the teams marched in each wearing unique gear. It was not too long which was nice, but a good welcome for all the teams and really set the tone for the whole tournament.

I happen to see one very familiar face here ... MC! She is going to be in Czech for the Cup also as her daughter plays for the US team.

Later tonight, we watched some film and talked game strategy for tomorrow's game against Scotland. It should be a good one and I am excited to start playing!

Tuesday, June 16

This morning, I drove with my mother and brother to the train station in Olomouce. Once we got there, I got on to a train headed to Prague. After a three hour ride, I got off at a station in Prague and my friend picked me up.

Later that night, we had another scrimmage. This time we played Canada. They are currently ranked fourth so it was a good opponent. The game was very back and forth. Once Canada got down to attack, we took the ball and it was back at our end and vice versa. We ended up losing 5-1 but I am happy we played them because it was very fast paced and we had to adjust to their style of playing quickly.

Tomorrow, we are moving into the Hotel Slavia next to the fields. Then, tomorrow night is the opening ceremony so all the teams will be there and the World Cup will finally begin!

Monday, June 15

I was still in Krnov today and just visited with family. Tomorrow, I am headed back to Prague and we will scrimmage Canada.

Sunday, June 14

Today was just a lazy Sunday. I woke up and went to church with my mom and brother. There we met up with my grandfather and aunt. Afterwards, we walked around town a little then we went to my aunt's for lunch and just took it easy.

Tomorrow will be my last chance to see some extended family before I head back to Prague on Tuesday morning!

Saturday, June 13

Today we scrimmaged England. We ended up losing, but it was a good indicator of minor changes that we can still make before the start of the World Cup. We have off tomorrow so that we can relax and get into the right mindset for the upcoming tournament.

So later on, after our game today, I took a train from Prague to Krnov where the majority of my relatives live. Overall, it is about a five-hour train ride. My grandfather and younger brother were waiting for me at the train station and then took me home (to my grandparents).

Tomorrow, I will be visiting family and relaxing.

Friday, June 12

Another rainy day, but this time it didn't clear up for practice so we practiced in intermittent showers going over our rides and clears. Then we did some stickwork and went over the plays again with a few minor changes. Today was a short practice becuase we have a game tomorrow against England. It is a pre-tournament game, but it will give us a good understanding of how we look for the Cup.

Hopefully tomorrow will not be rainy and we have a good game against England!

Thursday, June 11

It was a cold and rainy day in Prague, but it cleared up just in time for practice so we were able to train for two hours. We ran through the plays for a while so that we could really perfect them. Otherwise, we went through some other drills.

Things are looking good and we continue to look forward to the start of the cup!

Wednesday, June 10

About mid-day, the girl I am staying with, Eva, and I took the metro to Prague central. We walked around the older part of the city with a lot of the historical buildings. It just happened to be 10:55 AM when we walked up to the Orloj. The Orloj is this famous Astronomical Clock in Old Prague, so we got to see the hourly change.

Then, we walked over the Charles Bridge and up to the Castle. This took us another hour, so when we got to the entrance of the Castle, it was time for the changing of the guards in front of the Castle.

Then, we walked around and saw the Cathedral of St. Vitus before we made our way back down to the Charles Bridge and then home again.

Later, we had practice and another scrimmage. We played a game with the Czech B team. The final score was 11-1. Our play was limited in that we could not score one on one, but had to do so while running through a play. The game helped us work on our plays with a defense that did not know them. After the game, we had an hour practice.

Tomorrow we have practice at 7 p.m. Only a week left until we start playing!

Tuesday, June 9

Today was my first practice with the team. In the beginning, we watched and discussed film from yesterday's game. Then we had practice as usual. Tomorrow we have another scrimmage. This time we are playing the Czech B team so that we can practice our plays and get more game experience with the addition of two new players, myself and the other American, Alison (Alison Hubschmann from Georgetown University).

Overall, I was very happy with the practice today and continue to get more excited to play in the World Cup next week!

Monday, June 8

I flew from the US on the 3rd and until now, I have been in Ceske Budejovice for my cousin's wedding. Then, my family and I stayed at a cabin by lake at Lipno until this morning. So this afternoon was my first time seeing the team since last August when we played in the Euro Cup in Finland.

I arrived at practice and found out that we were going to be playing a scrimmage against the visiting Cornell University team. Unfortunately, I was not able to play because I had not practiced with the team yet and did not know the plays. Also, I had been traveling all morning so my coaches did not want me to get injured because I was tired.

So, from the sideline I watch as early on in the game the Czechs got a 3-1 lead over Cornell. At halftime, the score was tied 4-4. Then, both teams continued to score until the score was tied again at 7-7. In the end, the Czechs lost 9-7 as Cornell put in two quick goals in the last couple of minutes to end the game. The match was well played by both teams and I was really impressed with how much better the girls have gotten over the past year that I have not played with them.

Tomorrow we have practice at 7 p.m., so I am really excited to get on the field and finally be able to play!!!


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In three seasons with at Stevenson, Hnizda has totaled 73 points on 68 goals and five assists while adding 92 draw controls and 44 ground balls. This year, she scored a career-high 31 goals along with 22 draw controls and 17 ground balls. Kristyna's Blog Overall, my experience in Czech was a very rewarding one and I am very happy that I was able to play in the FIL World Cup. I made a lot of new friends and had a lot of great experiences! The atmosphere of the tournament was great! It was awesome to see many people come together and play some truly great lacrosse! This trip is one that I will never forget and I am truly blessed to have been able to compete in the tournament. Saturday, June 27 The last day of the tournament! Today, the final two games of the tournament were played. The bronze medal and gold medal games. For third place, Canada beat England in a very well-played game. The USA beat Australia to capture the championship after a hard fought game. After the final game, the closing ceremony took place where all the teams marched into the stadium. Then, the awards were given out for the top finishing teams. Later that day, the closing party was held in a four-level club in the stadium. After dinner, various awards were given out and for the remainder of the night, all the teams celebrated a great tournament and had a great time! Friday, June 26 Czech Republic 15, Germany 5 Box score \| Photos \| Video Today, we played our final game in the 2009 FIL World Cup. We played Germany for 9th place. We came out on fire and then kept playing well to give us a win of 15-5 over the Germans. It was a very positive note to end the tournament on. We finished 9th in the tournament out of 16 teams. This is a good placing for the Czech team and with a very positive note to finish on! Tomorrow, we will play an exhibition game in between the 3rd and 1st place games. Thursday, June 25 Czech Republic 12, Haudenosaunee 7 Box score \| Photos \| Video Today, we played Haudenosaunee in a tough match. We ended up winning 12-7. Haudenosaunee played with a different style then we were used to and it took a little time to get used to. But once we dissected their style of play and altered ours to work for us, the game picked up and we were able to score more goals and play well. I ended up getting MVP of the game! (Kristyna totaled three goals on three shots with two draw controls, two caused turnovers and a ground ball.) Overall, today was a good game for us and it was a great preparation for our final tournament game tomorrow against Germany! Wednesday, June 24 Czech Republic 23, South Korea 0 Box score \| Photos \| Video South Korea is a new team to the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). They are still a very developing team however I was impressed with their playing. They got several shots off and were very supportive of each other. We worked on moving the ball around quickly and looking for the best opportunities to score. Tomorrow we play Haudenosaunee, our second to last game of the tournament! Tuesday, June 23 Ireland 21, Czech Republic 10 Box score \| Photos \| Video We played Ireland today in a tough match and lost 21-10. The Irish just came out fighting and got out on top right away. It was hard to play catch up the rest of the game and it took a big toll out on us as the final score reflects. We will re-group tonight and get prepared for our next game against South Korea tomorrow. Monday, June 22 Czech Republic 15, New Zealand 3 Box score \| Photos \| Video Today, we had our final game of pool play against New Zealand where we won, 15-3. In preparation for the game, we were trying to focus on good ball movement and running through all of our set plays. Also, our defense focused on getting the pressure defense perfected. Tomorrow, we play Ireland in a playoff game that is crucial in order to place well in the upcoming games of the tournament! Sunday, June 21 Wales 12, Czech Republic 8 Box score \| Photos \| Video Today, we played the third game of our tournament. We worked this morning on trying to fix the biggest problems that we had in our attack. We applied them to our game against Wales, but despite our efforts, we lost 12-8. However, we made great strides in perfecting our attack and transition game. Tomorrow we play New Zealand at 5:45 PM. Saturday, June 20 Czech Republic 8, Germany 4 Box score \| Photos \| Video We had a game against Germany today and we won 8-4!! Germany has always been a tough opponent because they are so close to the Czech Republic. Its a big country rivalry. We fixed some problems from the Scotland game, but we still have some more work to do before we play Wales tomorrow! Friday, June 19 Its a a little rainy today so its a good thing that we have no games scheduled. We are just watching other teams' games. We have a team meeting at 2:30 to discuss the game plan for our game against Germany tomorrow. Also, we are just trying to put the loss against Scotland behind us and move forward and focus on not being so nervous and playing the game that we are trained to and capable of. Thursday, June 18 Scotland 8, Czech Republic 6 Box score \| Photos \| Video Today was our first game of the tournament. We played team Scotland at 2:30. The beginning of the game got off to a great start as we put in the first goal. Then, Scotland put in one of their own and it became a back and forth game. At the half, we were down, but not far from coming back. In the end, we could not put together a full 60 minutes in order to win the game and lost 8-6. This was a tough loss and it hit home pretty hard with a lot of the girls. Scotland has always been a big opponent for us but I am hoping that a loss to them in our first game will help fuel us for the upcoming games and into the rest of the tournament. I hope tomorrow we can regroup and get ready to take it to Germany on Saturday! Wednesday, June 17 Around noon today the team moved into the Hotel Slavia. We had a short practice later that day and then got ready for the Opening Ceremony and the beginning of the World Cup. The ceremony was really nice as all the teams marched in each wearing unique gear. It was not too long which was nice, but a good welcome for all the teams and really set the tone for the whole tournament. I happen to see one very familiar face here ... MC! She is going to be in Czech for the Cup also as her daughter plays for the US team. Later tonight, we watched some film and talked game strategy for tomorrow's game against Scotland. It should be a good one and I am excited to start playing! Tuesday, June 16 This morning, I drove with my mother and brother to the train station in Olomouce. Once we got there, I got on to a train headed to Prague. After a three hour ride, I got off at a station in Prague and my friend picked me up. Later that night, we had another scrimmage. This time we played Canada. They are currently ranked fourth so it was a good opponent. The game was very back and forth. Once Canada got down to attack, we took the ball and it was back at our end and vice versa. We ended up losing 5-1 but I am happy we played them because it was very fast paced and we had to adjust to their style of playing quickly. Tomorrow, we are moving into the Hotel Slavia next to the fields. Then, tomorrow night is the opening ceremony so all the teams will be there and the World Cup will finally begin! Monday, June 15 I was still in Krnov today and just visited with family. Tomorrow, I am headed back to Prague and we will scrimmage Canada. Sunday, June 14 Today was just a lazy Sunday. I woke up and went to church with my mom and brother. There we met up with my grandfather and aunt. Afterwards, we walked around town a little then we went to my aunt's for lunch and just took it easy. Tomorrow will be my last chance to see some extended family before I head back to Prague on Tuesday morning! Saturday, June 13 Today we scrimmaged England. We ended up losing, but it was a good indicator of minor changes that we can still make before the start of the World Cup. We have off tomorrow so that we can relax and get into the right mindset for the upcoming tournament. So later on, after our game today, I took a train from Prague to Krnov where the majority of my relatives live. Overall, it is about a five-hour train ride. My grandfather and younger brother were waiting for me at the train station and then took me home (to my grandparents). Tomorrow, I will be visiting family and relaxing. Friday, June 12 Another rainy day, but this time it didn't clear up for practice so we practiced in intermittent showers going over our rides and clears. Then we did some stickwork and went over the plays again with a few minor changes. Today was a short practice becuase we have a game tomorrow against England. It is a pre-tournament game, but it will give us a good understanding of how we look for the Cup. Hopefully tomorrow will not be rainy and we have a good game against England! Thursday, June 11 It was a cold and rainy day in Prague, but it cleared up just in time for practice so we were able to train for two hours. We ran through the plays for a while so that we could really perfect them. Otherwise, we went through some other drills. Things are looking good and we continue to look forward to the start of the cup! Wednesday, June 10 About mid-day, the girl I am staying with, Eva, and I took the metro to Prague central. We walked around the older part of the city with a lot of the historical buildings. It just happened to be 10:55 AM when we walked up to the Orloj. The Orloj is this famous Astronomical Clock in Old Prague, so we got to see the hourly change. Then, we walked over the Charles Bridge and up to the Castle. This took us another hour, so when we got to the entrance of the Castle, it was time for the changing of the guards in front of the Castle. Then, we walked around and saw the Cathedral of St. Vitus before we made our way back down to the Charles Bridge and then home again. Later, we had practice and another scrimmage. We played a game with the Czech B team. The final score was 11-1. Our play was limited in that we could not score one on one, but had to do so while running through a play. The game helped us work on our plays with a defense that did not know them. After the game, we had an hour practice. Tomorrow we have practice at 7 p.m. Only a week left until we start playing! Tuesday, June 9 Today was my first practice with the team. In the beginning, we watched and discussed film from yesterday's game. Then we had practice as usual. Tomorrow we have another scrimmage. This time we are playing the Czech B team so that we can practice our plays and get more game experience with the addition of two new players, myself and the other American, Alison (Alison Hubschmann from Georgetown University). Overall, I was very happy with the practice today and continue to get more excited to play in the World Cup next week! Monday, June 8 I flew from the US on the 3rd and until now, I have been in Ceske Budejovice for my cousin's wedding. Then, my family and I stayed at a cabin by lake at Lipno until this morning. So this afternoon was my first time seeing the team since last August when we played in the Euro Cup in Finland. I arrived at practice and found out that we were going to be playing a scrimmage against the visiting Cornell University team. Unfortunately, I was not able to play because I had not practiced with the team yet and did not know the plays. Also, I had been traveling all morning so my coaches did not want me to get injured because I was tired. So, from the sideline I watch as early on in the game the Czechs got a 3-1 lead over Cornell. At halftime, the score was tied 4-4. Then, both teams continued to score until the score was tied again at 7-7. In the end, the Czechs lost 9-7 as Cornell put in two quick goals in the last couple of minutes to end the game. The match was well played by both teams and I was really impressed with how much better the girls have gotten over the past year that I have not played with them. Tomorrow we have practice at 7 p.m., so I am really excited to get on the field and finally be able to play!!!