Team Slovakia has had a tough and challenging world junior tournament and it does not get easier as they draw a quarterfinal matchup with Russia.
Forward Milos Roman of the Vancouver Giants, has been a key contributor for the Slovaks and he has been relied upon in all situations.
Roman had two goals and one assist in four round-robin games for Slovakia, all while often playing against the oppositions top lines. That sort of two-way play has been what WHL fans have come to expect from Roman, as he is on path for his best season with the Vancouver and currently has 29 points (16g, 13a) in 30 games with the Giants.
For Roman, this is his the third world junior tournament he has played in, one of many returning players. “We have a good group of good guys in the locker room and we’ve been playing together for a lot of years,” said Roman. “We have eight guys from the team last year with lots of experience, and we have learned a lot from the Under-18 World Championships. We know that all these teams are very good and they have a lot of draft picks. But we are looking to win and that’s why we are here.”
Victoria hosted Group B where Slovakia played their round-robin games, and similar to Kazakhstan the crowds seemed to get behind the underdog Slovak team. For Roman, it was different to hear cheers for his team, something he doesn’t get much from the Victoria crowd when plays with the Giants. “It is a very good feeling. I know that there was a lot of Slovak fans and they were supporting us, so it was very good to play for this crowd.”
The crowds are not the only thing different with this tournament from his regular WHL duty. When asked what are some of the differences between playing with the Giants and international play, Roman said “Everything is a little faster here in the tournament and every team has so many skilled guys. When you come here you’re playing with guys you haven’t played with for a while, so the challenge is to play as one group and play together.”
Next up for Team Slovakia is a quarterfinal matchup with Team Russia on January 2nd in Vancouver. Russia took top spot in Group A play and are the heavy favourites against Slovakia. However, Roman said they should not be taken lightly, “I think we have to be ready for it. We showed against the USA that we can play against better teams. Now it’s time to do everything for that and be ready for the quarterfinal.”
