New cooperation on the horizon after friendly games between EUHL and ACHA selects

The matches between European University Hockey League (EUHL) teams selects and the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) selects were highly competitive producing very close results. The students-athletes from United States won the first match in Pilsen 5:3 followed by their second win 5 to 2 in Prague. These sports events however didn’t focus solely on hockey. During the games where the players tested their athletic skills, the management of European Hockey Association (EUHA) was carrying on the talks with the leaders of ACHA about the potential future cooperation between these two associations.

The whole idea about the EUHL project is that the young student athletes have the chance to study and at the same time continue with their hockey careers on the competitive level. These two essential components, education and sport, merged together are called dual career.  Managing studies and regular athletic training program can be however very challenging. Students who are capable of dealing with such a pressure proved to be highly motivated individuals who are becoming more and more interesting for universities first as their students, and after graduation their previous involvement in university athletic program gives the right signals also to the future employers.

Both EUHA and ACHA are recognising and operating on the very similar principles and for this reasons both parties recognised a space for mutual cooperation such as future study exchange programs where the EUHL and ACHA players could simply change their places at the universities and at the teams as well for one or two semesters. The first ideas were said loud already during the games, however the realisation of such a proposal will require a lot work on both sides.

The president of EUHL, Mr. Jaroslav Straka, however believes that where is a will there is a way. „We will try our best to accomplish such exchanges which would make the athletic programs in our universities even more interesting.“