Shortly before the start of the Under-20 World Hockey Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, there were also experts who predicted medal success for the ambitious Slovakian team. During the most recent – bronze intervention of the Slovak hockey players at the MSJ eight years ago, there were also two players who are currently wearing the jersey of the SHL leader Vlci Žilina. They are defender Matúš Holenda and forward Patrik Koyš. And both of them would not be opposed if something similar to what happened in Canada was repeated now in the north of Europe.
It is here! Slovak ice hockey players start their journey to the World Cup under 20 years. At the start, they will face a challenging opponent, in the federal derby they will face the Czech Republic. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Watch the ONLINE broadcast of the match with audio commentary on ŠPORT.sk!
“I think we have smart hockey players. And although we are missing the two biggest names (Slafkovský and Nemec – note SITA), there is enough talent in the team to advance even from the top ranks in the group. After that, everything will be possible. I believe , that it will not only be advancement to the group, but also the fight for a medal,” Patrik Koyš is quoted by the official website of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association.
Matúš Holenda claims the well-known fact that cohesion and teamwork are necessary for success. “Nothing is impossible and if they form a super team, fight for each other, they can achieve great success and write a chapter in their lives that they will remember with pleasure in the future.” said Holland.
Holenda and Koyš liked to remember what it was like at the turn of 2014 and 2015 in Montreal and Toronto. The stepping stone to the precious metal was the winning quarter-final against the Czech Republic (3:0).
“We got the Canadians in the semi-finals. We dared them, but the quality was clearly on their side. After losing, we played against Sweden in the fight for bronze. I’m glad that we managed to win. Such a success was not for a long time and I see that still it cannot be repeated. I remember that at the championship we had all known each other for a long time and were friends. That was also one of the reasons why we won a medal. Coach Bokroš was a kind of pilot of the whole expedition. It suited us, everything worked like that how little” returned the Dutchman in his memories eight to nine years ago.
After the winning fight for bronze in Toronto against the Swedes (4:2), there was only time for quick celebrations. “I remember we celebrated right after the game because we didn’t have much time left in Toronto. We had to be careful not to get lost in such a big city. So we were more or less in the hotel and nearby. We were in great euphoria. When I think about it like that, I would like to go back and enjoy it again,” added the Žilina defender.
One of the most productive “Wolves” Koyš added to his teammate: “The celebrations were not extreme, since the championship is played in the middle of the season. We flew out the next day, but we were out and enjoyed it as much as possible. We celebrated more after the season at the cottage, where we met for several years.”
2023-12-26 10:29:16
#hockey #U20 #Message #bronze #medalists #Slovaks #impossible #Sport.sk
