Martin Davidek: Outstanding group of warriors

In 2018, you won silver medals with the U18 national team at the World Championship in St. John's. How do you remember that?
I still have vivid memories of it. From the preparatory camps, the great coaching staff, and the team itself. We had amazing support from the parents of the players. We had a great group of fighters, and we enjoyed the World Championship in Canada not only from a sports perspective. There were many teams participating. We played against Italy for the first time, defeated Great Britain, and conquered Slovakia. Total commitment and belief in victory brought us a comeback win against the USA. We also took a point from the group stage against Canada.

In the group stage, you only lost to Canada, with whom you lost in overtime. You also couldn't beat the Canadian team in the final and lost 1:3. What was missing to overcome this team?
In such close matches, it's the little things that matter, converting even the smallest opportunities, and capitalizing on power plays. In the final, we may have had less energy and couldn't push for an equalizing goal. Canada scored the decisive goal under pressure in the closing moments of the game.

You brought back the second place from the World Championship and also received the fewest goals among all teams. What made the team strong?
At first, there was a big disappointment, and there were even tears. But shortly after the final game, we all appreciated our success in winning a medal. Being second in the world is not bad (smile), even though it's not the title. At the final camp, we revamped the system for the left-wing defensemen (Martin Kurz, assistant coach), and the boys diligently carried out their tasks in individual games. We could rely on great performances from the goaltenders, and the phenomenal "Evza" (Evzen Buscik, ed. note) took care of the mood and health of the players.

Three Czech players finished in the top ten of the points scoring, and Lukas Novotny was named the best goaltender. How happy did that make you?
Personalities like Jiri Vanis, whose form grew during the tournament, Filip Faltus, and Jarda Prochazka stood out with their great performances. They are still key players in their teams today, and I'm happy about that. But it was really a team effort, and it's not a cliché. Responsible defensive play, fighting spirit, selflessness, and team cohesion were the disciplines that this team honored. And Luky Novotny? The decisive moment was the substitution against the USA when we were down 0:2, and we eventually won 4:2, as well as the final against Canada. He is now one of the top goaltenders in the Extraliga. I had the opportunity to work with Jirka and Lukáš in the future in the Hostivař Extraliga.

Now you are once again the coach of the U18 national team, and the World Championship in Liberec awaits you. Do you think the newly forming team has a chance to at least defend this success?
Given that there hasn't been any major international event since the last championship, we don't know the strength of our opponents. But based on how the guys have looked in the training camps, I think we will put together a very strong team. We have players who have played in the Extraliga, the 1st League, and junior leagues. We need to work on our systems and fine-tune the team chemistry. Yes, I believe that the current U18 team has what it takes to win a medal, and we will go into the home World Cup with the highest ambitions. But the ball is round and the line between success and failure is very thin. I really wish them the best. After all, it's been 5 years since the last championship, and whenever I meet the guys, we reminisce (smile). I'm glad to be on the coaching staff again with Martin Kurz, like in Canada, and with Vláďa Píša, with whom I continued my collaboration from Hostivař.

The upcoming World Championship is approaching, and the major event will begin in less than three months. How are you looking forward to the home environment?
I know that our association is capable of preparing for a great home championship. It's great that it will be played in Liberec, in a beautiful hall, a hockey city. Playing in the home environment is an advantage for the families and friends of the players. I'm convinced that they will create a great atmosphere for us, and the guys will experience an amazing ball hockey festival.