Git wasn’t fair. The fact that one of the teams had to lose this quarter-final was of course in line with the regulations and was clear to everyone involved. Both sides undoubtedly deserved to progress, as they threw a lot into the balance on both sides to fight for the better end. After two and a half hours, in which a total of 50 power professionals performed the most spectacular scenes of this Olympic ice hockey tournament so far, the luck of the brave was granted to the Slovaks, who only 43 seconds before the end of regular time with the goal to equalize in had saved the extension. Then they prevailed 3:2 after a penalty shootout (1:1, 0:1, 1:0, 1:0).
The scorer of the only goal in a total of ten attempts in the shootout was Peter Cehlarik, who with a body illusion sent the American keeper Strauss Mann past him and pushed the disc past him with a nimble wrist movement. “I had practiced this move in training and knew that I would try it if the chance arose,” said the puck virtuoso with strong nerves, who had already scored in the 4-0 win over the Germans 24 hours earlier.
While the players around national coach Toni Söderholm vacated their quarters in the Olympic Village and headed home, the Slovaks are just getting started. “We’re far from done,” said Kristian Pospisil. He promised fans at home they could rest assured “that we will do everything we can to bring something that we are all proud of”.
Junior with full protection visor
The last outstanding success of the Slovaks at a major event is now ten years ago – at that time it was silver at the World Championships in Finland. Juraj Slafkovsky knows well the stories of some of the contributors to the Helsinki final. However, he himself has no more impressive memories of it. Because he was in the first grade at school at the time, his parents sent him to bed early, so he missed the TV show, as he said on Wednesday.
Slafkovsky will come of age on March 30. Until then, according to the statutes, he is still considered a junior, who must wear a full protective visor in front of his face for his protection at these physical action and adrenaline festivals.
He didn’t accept that during his many interviews in the National Hallenstadion. Slafkovsky is currently a sought-after man. Or, to quote the Slovak national coach, Canadian Craig Ramsay: a coveted “big kid”. The centre, who prefers to shoot with his left hand, still wears the shirt of the Finnish club TPS Turku. However, his further career path is mapped out – it will also take him to North America.
The teenager is the youngest of numerous youngsters who are on duty in Beijing these days because the top stars were not allowed to come from overseas. And Slafkovsky already has huge potential for overseas clubs. This summer in the draft, the traditional division of talent in the professional league NHL, he will presumably be selected in the first round.
Against the United States, Slafkovsky scored his fifth goal in his fourth Olympic appearance. He leads the goal-getter list. “He’s an imposing figure,” said Ramsay of the 1.93 meter tall and 102 kilogram model athlete. “But Slafkovsky also has fast feet. He can skate, he can jump and he can handle the puck.”
Miroslav Satan, now manager of the Slovak national team and once a furious guy himself, where defenders in 1,136 NHL games could never be sure which feint he would pull out next, said it was “a treat” to see “young players like to see Juraj rise”. Slafkovsky will help the team reach “an even higher level” – and ideally, possibly a long-awaited medal in China.
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