By Trevor Stynes and Giulio Piovaccari
MILAN, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Slovakia came to Milan with hopes of at least emulating their bronze medal from the last Olympics but leave empty-handed and devastated after Saturday’s heavy defeat to Finland, with Juraj Slafkovsky taking no consolation in finishing fourth.
The Slovakians looked on course to repeat their Beijing heroics from four years ago where a then 17-year-old Slafkovsky played a major role in winning their first medal, as top goalscorer and tournament MVP.
At Milano Cortina, Slovakia beat champions Finland 4-1 on their way to topping Group B, sailed past Germany in the quarter-finals before succumbing to the United States in the last four.
Facing Finland again in a face-off for bronze, Slovakia fell to a 6-1 loss and had long left the ice before the medal ceremony.
“I think being fourth and being last, it’s the same thing,” Slafkovsky said.
“You don’t get the medal, so it sucks. The guys that are already home, they don’t have a medal as well, and we don’t have one either.
“So it’s still the same thing. In my opinion, right now, that’s how I feel, it sucks, losing sucks.”
Slovakia fell two goals behind but managed to make it a one-goal game going into the final period where it all fell apart. Finland scored two within the space of a minute, the first on a power play, and there was no way back.
“Going into the third, we’re right there, it’s a 2-1 game,” Slafkovsky said.
“If we score the next one, then it’s 2-2. Who knows what would have happened, but yeah I can say whatever right now, it’s not going to change anything.”
While Slafkovsky does at least have an Olympic medal, this defeat may sting even more for defender Martin Fehervary who was not at the last Games.
“For myself, it’s definitely the worst loss in my hockey career, I’m really disappointed,” Fehervary said.
“Everyone wants to win, right? And we don’t have any medal. I don’t have any medals, so it’s really disappointing.”
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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