I’ve been posting throughout the Games that we have had the wonderful opportunity to watch the best of the globe play hockey at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Both Men’s and Women’s hockey. It’s been great fun to watch, but I have a question, and if the universe is listening, can you please tell me why every game we’ve been to features the Slovakia Hockey Team?
It’s the most bizarre and funny thing ever… Each of the 4 games we’ve attended so far, and I mean EACH and EVERY game, has had the Slovakia Team as one of the opponents. Yup. All 4 of our games. They’ve included both men’s and women’s hockey, and have had Team Slovakia pitted against the Czech Republic, Russia [twice - both men's and women's teams], China yesterday and this evening… Yup, you guessed Slovakia vs. Latvia. So that’s 5 for 5 hockey tickets featuring the Slovakia Team, it’s just plain weird LOL!
Don’t get me wrong… I’m NOT complaining, especially since the hockey has been good. Competitive. Men’s hockey is almost always a tough fight, with each team battling for placement. Former and current NHLers [including Vancouver's Pavel Demitra, and top NHLers Marion Hossa, Marion Gaborik and stellar goaltender Jaroslav Halak] make up the Slovak team, so the quality of play has been excellent. The game vs. Russia was outstanding. We came for the Russian Ovie show, and ended up getting more than full value for the match-up with the game going to ’sudden victory’ overtime [love the positive spin on OT by the Olympics] and eventually decided in a 7th round shoot-out goal scored by Pavel Demitra. The Slovakia goaltender Halak make some ridiculous, stand-on-his-head saves in the net [that goalie is SICK in the best way!] and helped his team beat the ever persistent, ever skilled Russian team in a dramatic fashion.
Women’s hockey is usually a blow out [if the opposing team is pitted against Canada or the USA], but the two games we saw had the Slovakian team against Russia and China respectively. It made for competitive and fairly well-matched team play and meant that neither team were humiliated by a 18-0 score. We enjoyed both of them, and were fairly surprised at how well they played.
One thing I have to say is that the Slovak team fans are kinda rabid, loud and generally a lot of fun. It’s that kind of team spirit really makes the Olympic Hockey experience come alive. Cheering, chanting, costumes, team gear and national flags. That is the true testament to the Olympic spirit. Nationalism at it’s finest. After 4 games with the Slovakian team, now even we are chanting along with them: “Go Slovaks Go! Go! Go! Go! Go Slovaks Go!” LOL! I feel like we’re being assimilated into the Slovak culture ala the Borg Collective. ‘Resistance is futile!’
So universe, what are you trying to tell us? Somewhere in our bloodlines are there Slovakian genes floating? Are we lost members of a Slovakian hockey family? Or are you just telling us that we should be cheering for the underdog? Regardless of what you’re trying to say, we’ve enjoyed our Olympic Hockey experience, even if it has been just a touch one dimensional ;^)
Go Slovakia Go!
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