It took HSC Csíkszereda until the 12th week of the season to win their first road game of the season against Ferencváros in a 3-2 overtime win. The team is going through some changes as they are laying the foundation for the future by relying on a number of young players and therefore there are not as many experienced players as the fans of HSC have been used to. The import players have had a larger role this season, in the game against FTC Michal Satek stepped up and scored all three goals in the win and is this weeks Player of the Week.
You have played almost your entire career for HK 36 Skalica, what is it like playing for another team as well as playing outside of Slovakia?
It is a strange experience, I did spend two months playing for Nyitra and in my youth days I played in Piestany and Senica but these were max 1.5 hours away. It did take me some time to get used to that I was 1000 km away from Szakolca and I can’t just jump home when I felt like it. Szakolca is a beautiful place as is Csíkszereda which is surrounded by gorgeous mountains.
What has been your experience like in the MOL League so far and how would you compare it to the Slovak Extra League, what are the biggest differences?
The MOL League is somewhat slower than the Extra league and there is less physical play, I would say that the MOL League is equal to the Slovak 2nd division.
As an outsider what do you see as the key to improvement at HSC Csíkszereda and what is the biggest reason for the way the team is playing right now?
I think the biggest reason is the lack of accountability among some of the players on the team. The last six losses we had were all decided in the last five minutes of the game. Also we have a number of young players, we are missing the 26-30 age group, these young players need to be doing a lot more individual work on the side to improve their game and raise to the level of the rest of the league. I also notice that after the on ice practice, off ice conditioning has not become a part of their regular routine, at 75 kg they do not have the size and strength to play the length of the game against full grown adults, they are completely exhausted by the end of the game. Of course they are too worn down to do off ice training after a string of games, this is a cycle that I experienced as well when I started playing with senior players at the age of 19. The management of the team also needs to be more professional, for example proper eating habits and nutrition needs to be developed, this is very important for a professional athlete. There have been time that on a road trip our pre game meal has been heavier than it should be for an athlete. I do however have to say that the Csíkszereda players are skilled and are tough, with some hard work they can accomplish a lot.
The Romanian Cup will be held right before Christmas, will you be able to travel home for the holidays?
The Romanian Cup will not be problem, however we will be playing Brasov on both the 23rd and the 26th and then Ferencváros on the 29th with a road trip right after New Years, so this year I will not be with my family for the holiday season.