Team Slovakia U18 WC preview
By Andrej Cicman
After the preliminary games aginst Poland and Latvia, it is clear who will be on the Slovak national team for the U18 tournament. Not many from this group have senior Extraleague experience, but there are some interesting players.
Zdenko Kotvan – 12.08.89, HK 36 Skalica. Kotvan is the biggest star from this group and has the experience needed for this tournament. He played three games in the Slovak senior extraleague and he played well. In the playoff against the top regular season team HC Kosice he was in the net in two games. In one game he stopped an amazing 51 shots and in the shootouts no one from the HC Kosice squad could beat him. So his statistics in the senior league are pretty good – 3.34 GAA and 91.45%. He played also one match in the Slovak senior first league, in Senica (2,0 GAA and 92.30%) and in the Slovak Junior Exraleague 51 games (2,3 GAA, 92.16%)
Jaroslav Janus – 21.09.89, Slovan Bratislava. Janus played the whole season in the Slovak Junior Extraleague for Slovan Bratislava. In 25 games he had a 2.29 GAA and 93.17 save percentage.
Marek Daloga -10.03.89, HKm Zvolen. Daloga played two regular season games in the Slovak senior Extraleague for HKm Zvolen. But also he played all the five games in the playoffs, but without any points. Daloga was also active in the Slovak senior first league, in which he played 20 games (1g, 4a, 22 PIM a -19), but the substantial portion of the season he was in the Slovak junior league (0g, 3a, 4PIM a -1).
Martin Baca – 2.2.89, HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas. Another promising defenseman, this time from Liptovsky Mikulas. Baca played 23 games in the Slovak senior Extraleague (1g, 1a, 4PIM a -10), the most from this group. He was also active in the Slovak first league, but only for two games. In the junior league he played in 37 games (3g, 7a, 56 PIM and -4).
Branislav Horvath – 18.07.89, HK Spisska Nova Ves. He played 11 games in the Slovak first league and 54 games in the junior league (3g, 12a, 50 PIM and +38). His team HK Spisska Nova Ves Jr. won this year's championship.
Peter Rojkovic – 09.01.89, HK Spisska Nova Ves. Another from winner HK Spisska Nova Ves of the Slovak junior league, Rojkovic played only in this league. In 47 games: 3g, 20a, 71 PIM and +20.
Peter Novajovský – 27.09.89, Slovan Bratislava. Played 50 games in the junior league with 2g, a, 50 PIM and -3.
Michal Kozák – 27.01.89, HC Kosice. He has also played in Slovak top senior league, but it was only four games. Almost the whole season he played for the junior team (48 games, 6 goals, 12 assists, 85 PIM and +14).
Anton Hruška – 25.01.89, Slovan Bratislava. Another player only with Slovak junior league experience (1 goal, 2 assists, 22 PIM and +3).
Adam Bezak – 04.07.89, Slovan Bratislava. He played 52 games in the Slovak junior league, and had 21 goals, 29 assists, 50 PIM and +41. Bezak was the most productive player of his team. He also played for Slovakia on the U18 WJC 2006.
Ondrej Rusnak – 25.02.89, Slovan Bratislava. Rusnak played 47 games in the Slovak junior league (12g, 21a, 26 PIM and +23).
Matej Misura – 16.02.89, HK Trnava. Misura played 39 games in the Slovak junior league (9 goals, 11 assists, 10 PIM and +7).
Jozef Molnar – 08.04.89, HC Kosice. Molnar played 47 games in the Slovak junior league (15 goals, 9 assists, 47 PIM and -1).
Tomas Striz – 04.07.89, HC Kosice. Striz played 59 games in the Slovak junior league (12 goals, 23 assists, 91 PIM and +9).
Milan Kytnar – 19.05.89, HC Topolcany. Kytnar played 26 games in the Slovak senior first league (5g, 8a, 55PIM and +4) and 53 games in the Slovak spring league (91 points).
Richard Jancek – 14.09.89, HC Topolcany. He played one game in the first senior league (-3), 60 games in the spring league (91 points) and four games in the Slovak junior first league (5 points).
Dalimir Jancovic – 28.01.89, MHC Martin. He played one game in the senior Extraleague, 28 Slovak junior league (8 goals, 6 assists) and 28 games in the spring league (33 points).
Peter Galambos – 14.06.89, MHC Martin. Galambos played 28 games in the Slovak junior league and had 4 goals, 2 assists, 22 PIM and -3.
Martin Filo – 06.02.89, Dukla Trencin. Played 48 games in the Slovak junior league (17 goals, 16 assists, 30 PIM a +26).
Martin Stepan – 18.03.89, HK 36 Skalica. Played 47 games in the Slovak junior league (18 goals, 18 assists, 40 PIM and +19).
Adam Lapsansky – 10.04.90, HK SKP Poprad. He played for the senior team one game in the regular season, but all six in the playoffs. And he also played 40 games in the Slovak junior league (16 goals, 7 assists, 30 PIM and +7).
Richard Panik – 07.02.1991, HC Trinec. Panik is the only player who played this season in the Czech junior extraleague. He played in 27 games (16g, 9a, 30 PIM and +3).