Clara practices self-criticism: “I’m not looking for excuses”

Italy's national ice hockey team had to tremble for a long time against Japan at the home World Cup in Bolzano on Tuesday before they secured a 4-3 victory after extra time. One man was particularly in focus: Damian Clara, but he was not happy with his debut, as he revealed to SportNews. The voices from the Sparkasse Arena.

01 Maj 2024

From: leo

Damian Clara (Italy goalkeeper): “Of course there was a lot of anticipation. Unfortunately I didn't have my best game today. The preparation wasn't optimal because I was only able to train with the team once. When you play 50 games at the same level with the same teammates, things like today happen at the beginning. As a goalkeeper you are not setting the tone, but are forced to react. Ice hockey is simply different and a different world, so to speak. But I'm not looking for excuses. The important thing is not to think about it too much and keep playing, because sometimes you get stupid goals. I know and understand that the expectations placed on me are high. But in the end I’m just a player like any other who is only taking part in his second World Cup.”

Daniel Frank (Italy striker): “I think we started with pressure and created a lot of chances. The second third wasn't good because we let them get back into the game. After the long break it was difficult to get out of the locker room at speed and to focus. Ultimately we can be happy that we took two points, even though we could have decided the game earlier. We have to be more cold-blooded in front of the goal and take advantage of the chances, then the world will look completely different. Regarding the next games, we will look at a few things like the power play. In the end, it’s the little things that make the difference, as we saw again today.”

“I don’t know what happened after the 2-0 lead.” Diego Kostner

Diego Kostner (Italy striker): “Compared to the games with the club (Ambrì-Piotta, editor's note), I may have to play a little differently, but I don't have to adapt anew. We are here at a World Cup and the standard is high. Every game is different. I think we deserved the win today. It's a shame that we only got two points because we would have had enough chances to decide the game in the 60 minutes. I don't know what happened after the 2-0 lead. We made mistakes and gave them too much freedom. They are fast and therefore very dangerous when counterattacked. The power play and the exploitation of chances have to improve in the next games. I'm happy about the two goals at the start of the World Cup, but what's important is that the team wins so that we can achieve our goal, i.e. promotion. I’m trying to do my part and help the team.”

Luca Frigo (Italy striker): “After a good start on our part, they took control. I didn't take advantage of a few opportunities today, but that's part of ice hockey. You have to stick with it and never give up. The goal in overtime was of course important for the victory. The fans created a fantastic atmosphere again today. I'm not surprised that so many people came. After all, Bolzano is an ice hockey city. I hope that the atmosphere continues in the next few days.”

“It means a lot to me to play against Italy at a World Cup in Italy.” Jarrod Skald

Jarrod Skalde (Japan coach): “It was a great hockey game. We didn't have the start we were hoping for. But we fought back strongly by sticking to the game plan. We managed to keep Italy busy in the offensive zone and create chances. Unfortunately, we lost out in the end. It was a special game for me today as there were a lot of friends and family in the stands. It means a lot to me to play against Italy at a World Cup in Italy.”