Slovak captain Sofia Vysokajova accepts the trophy from IIHF Council member Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer after winning the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Division I Group A that gave her team promotion to the top level.
photo: Nicolas Zangerle
At the start of this year Slovak women’s ice hockey made a great accomplishment. After beating Germany 5-1 in last game of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Division I in Group A, their national team got promoted to top division for the first time in history. Now they are preparing for the tournament of the elite nations at the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship, which will be hosted on home ice in Bratislava.
IIHF.com sat down with captain Sofia Vysokajova, who remembers the success from last January and talks about her feelings and potential pressure before the top-division premiere in front of the home crowd.
In the beginning of this year you captained the Slovak U18 women’s national team to the top division of the World Championship. How do you remember this success?
It was unbelievable and mainly a great experience. We have reached the goal to get to the highest level. Everyone in the team, starting from the staff through each girl confirmed to reach that goal. We made it because of hard work performed by our entire team.
Was that strong core of the team the main reason that you moved up to the elite nations?
Exactly. We have been compact and there wasn’t any bad thing inside of the team. I can’t say we had a star player, who was the best, because we don’t have individuals. Every girl was fighting and left everything on the ice. Only hard work gave us the victorious finish.
Right now, you are in the pre-tournament camp. What do you expect from the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in the top division?
We are full of expectations, because there are top teams of the world and we want to measure our strength with them. We know it will be though, but we are preparing so hard and putting everything to the work. We have strong practices and put ourselves to maximum. We had a 4 Nations tournament in Italy during the November international break, where we got more synchronized to make the best results on the tournament as we can. Then we prepared with a final tournament in Sweden.
IIHF.com sat down with captain Sofia Vysokajova, who remembers the success from last January and talks about her feelings and potential pressure before the top-division premiere in front of the home crowd.
In the beginning of this year you captained the Slovak U18 women’s national team to the top division of the World Championship. How do you remember this success?
It was unbelievable and mainly a great experience. We have reached the goal to get to the highest level. Everyone in the team, starting from the staff through each girl confirmed to reach that goal. We made it because of hard work performed by our entire team.
Was that strong core of the team the main reason that you moved up to the elite nations?
Exactly. We have been compact and there wasn’t any bad thing inside of the team. I can’t say we had a star player, who was the best, because we don’t have individuals. Every girl was fighting and left everything on the ice. Only hard work gave us the victorious finish.
Right now, you are in the pre-tournament camp. What do you expect from the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in the top division?
We are full of expectations, because there are top teams of the world and we want to measure our strength with them. We know it will be though, but we are preparing so hard and putting everything to the work. We have strong practices and put ourselves to maximum. We had a 4 Nations tournament in Italy during the November international break, where we got more synchronized to make the best results on the tournament as we can. Then we prepared with a final tournament in Sweden.
Sofia Vysokajova and her Slovak teammates beat Germany in the deciding game to gain promotion to the top division.
photo: Nicolas Zangerle
After getting promoted, you faced Switzerland in August as one of your top-division rivals. Have you felt a big difference in that game?
There wasn’t any eminent difference. It was a close game, we lost only 2-1 and I think we could beat them. Maybe they had been missing some of the players, who will start on the tournament, but I think we can play with everyone. Once we start to play our hockey, we won’t have any problem with other teams.
The 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship will be hosted in your home country. Aren’t you nervous?
Of course, we feel little shaky, but I think the home crowd could be the engine for us. The atmosphere could push us to better performances and we are expecting our parents cheer for us too. We are ready to play in front of a packed rink. I can’t wait for that.
How do you feel in the pre-tournament camp?
Great. We are victory-tuned. Everyone is concentrated so we don’t need to be afraid of our performance. We have highest goals in the tournament, for sure.
What would be the best result after the tournament for you?
Only victory. We don’t think about anything else. I think we show that we know to play ice hockey and Slovakia could play with the best teams in the world. We feel assure to get a medal.
What’s the spirit among your team in your dressing room, also if you compare to men’s hockey?
We are more sensitive and we support each other. Everything is based on good relationship. Nothing is unnecessarily blurred.
As captain of the team, have you ever had to raise your voice?
There were some situations between the periods, for sure. Mostly when we were behind, but I am not a person who wants to scream on everyone. I prefer to communicate with everyone as an adult. Not shouting at each other.
Let’s talk more about women’s hockey in Slovakia. How do you see the progress in your country?
The upcoming 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship could be great promotion for Slovak girls’ hockey and bring it into sight at the international level. I am so excited we reached promotion last year and now we can play in the top division. It’s amazing for us and our success could motivate younger girls to work hard so they can achieve similar success.
Girls start to play hockey with boys in Slovakia. How was your experience?
Yes. The reason is that we don’t have many girls’ ice hockey clubs in Slovakia. But playing in the boys’ teams is great for us, because they put us to the limit. We develop more, because we have to catch up the level with them, which is great. With my club HC SKP Bratislava we play in a boys’ U16 league as girls’ team against boys. If we play against older ones, its physically more demanding than against women. You can body check too, which I like. But in women’s ice hockey bodychecking is not allowed. That’s why I think girl’s hockey is prettier.
Until which age do you have to play with boys?
In Slovakia the rule is that we are allowed to play with boys until the U16 category. So, the longer the better I would say. After 16 and older, many girls are playing with women’s senior teams. In Slovakia there are only five women’s teams that play in the regular senior league.
Who is your hockey idol?
Even though I play on a defensive position, I always adore Miroslav Satan. And there is another one, Zdeno Chara, who is still playing in the NHL and he is one of the best there. In women’s ice hockey I like Jenni Hiirikoski.
There wasn’t any eminent difference. It was a close game, we lost only 2-1 and I think we could beat them. Maybe they had been missing some of the players, who will start on the tournament, but I think we can play with everyone. Once we start to play our hockey, we won’t have any problem with other teams.
The 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship will be hosted in your home country. Aren’t you nervous?
Of course, we feel little shaky, but I think the home crowd could be the engine for us. The atmosphere could push us to better performances and we are expecting our parents cheer for us too. We are ready to play in front of a packed rink. I can’t wait for that.
How do you feel in the pre-tournament camp?
Great. We are victory-tuned. Everyone is concentrated so we don’t need to be afraid of our performance. We have highest goals in the tournament, for sure.
What would be the best result after the tournament for you?
Only victory. We don’t think about anything else. I think we show that we know to play ice hockey and Slovakia could play with the best teams in the world. We feel assure to get a medal.
What’s the spirit among your team in your dressing room, also if you compare to men’s hockey?
We are more sensitive and we support each other. Everything is based on good relationship. Nothing is unnecessarily blurred.
As captain of the team, have you ever had to raise your voice?
There were some situations between the periods, for sure. Mostly when we were behind, but I am not a person who wants to scream on everyone. I prefer to communicate with everyone as an adult. Not shouting at each other.
Let’s talk more about women’s hockey in Slovakia. How do you see the progress in your country?
The upcoming 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship could be great promotion for Slovak girls’ hockey and bring it into sight at the international level. I am so excited we reached promotion last year and now we can play in the top division. It’s amazing for us and our success could motivate younger girls to work hard so they can achieve similar success.
Girls start to play hockey with boys in Slovakia. How was your experience?
Yes. The reason is that we don’t have many girls’ ice hockey clubs in Slovakia. But playing in the boys’ teams is great for us, because they put us to the limit. We develop more, because we have to catch up the level with them, which is great. With my club HC SKP Bratislava we play in a boys’ U16 league as girls’ team against boys. If we play against older ones, its physically more demanding than against women. You can body check too, which I like. But in women’s ice hockey bodychecking is not allowed. That’s why I think girl’s hockey is prettier.
Until which age do you have to play with boys?
In Slovakia the rule is that we are allowed to play with boys until the U16 category. So, the longer the better I would say. After 16 and older, many girls are playing with women’s senior teams. In Slovakia there are only five women’s teams that play in the regular senior league.
Who is your hockey idol?
Even though I play on a defensive position, I always adore Miroslav Satan. And there is another one, Zdeno Chara, who is still playing in the NHL and he is one of the best there. In women’s ice hockey I like Jenni Hiirikoski.