Italy's tournament victory: What was positive and what was negative?

Coach Mike Keenan's team returned home from the Hungarian capital on Sunday night. After their return, Stefan Zisser, the head of the Italian national teams, spoke about...

…the 2nd tournament win in a row: “After the disappointment at the World Cup in Division I Group A in Nottingham this spring, this success was good. Above all, it was a great satisfaction for the players. Winning at international level is always nice. But for me the result is secondary. After all, we can't buy anything with this victory and I wouldn't overestimate it either. After all, it could have gone the other way. We still have a long way to go. And yet: in sport, only the results count and they were very good in Budapest.”

…the game against Slovenia: “We were the better team against Slovenia, even though the opponent perhaps had the better chances. Games at international level cannot be compared to championship games because they are more tactical and more intense. With Randy Gazzola, Jason Seed, Giordano Finoro and Bryce Misley, among others, we had four new players who had to get used to the change.”

Stefan Zisser. © kp

… the game against Hungary: “As was the case against Slovenia, our defensive performance was excellent. After a mixed opening third, we dominated the game from the middle section onwards, but were only able to use our superiority to win in the penalty shootout.”

… the game against Ukraine: “Both teams were weak and weak. For us it was the third game in less than 3 hours. And yet we found a way to win this game too. Although you have to be honest, we also had the necessary luck on our side. We held up very well, especially when we were outnumbered. “Ukraine is technically very strong and I’m surprised that they are “only” involved in the World Cup in Division I Group B.”

…the performance of the “Azzurri” in general: “The players implemented many things the way we imagined them. Compared to the games in Nottingham, a slight improvement could be seen. The defensive behavior was very good. If you only concede one goal in three games, you've done everything right. On the offensive, however, there was a mild breeze. There has to be more in front of the opponent's goal. 3 goals out of the game is damn few.”

Andreas Bernard (left) was a sure support. © HIHF/David Voro

…the performances of the 3 goalkeepers: “All three goalkeepers delivered top performances. Starting with Damian Clara, who celebrated a “shutout” against Slovenia. In the last 3 months the Bua has become a man. The 6-year-old knows exactly what he wants and has a plan in mind. He exuded great confidence and his work ethic was commendable. Andreas Bernard was a sure support against Hungary. He is increasingly emerging as a leader who talks a lot on the ice and in the locker room. With his great experience and leadership but also with his class, he is a great reinforcement for the team. Marco De Filippo, on the other hand, was both a surprise and confirmation. He wasn't nervous and radiated a lot of calm. The reward was the “shutout” against Ukraine. With Gianluca Vallini, Jacob Smith and Justin Fazio we have 18 other goalkeepers who will definitely give us positive answers too.”

… positive findings: “The aforementioned defensive performance and the 3 goalkeepers. Giovanni Morini, on the other hand, was the confirmation I was hoping for, while Jason Seed surprised me the most. The Cortina defender played very solidly and hardly made any mistakes.”

…negative findings: “Unfortunately, we have come to the conclusion that the physical condition of some players is not satisfactory. And the forward play also needs to be better. We still have room for improvement on offense and in the power play.”

…the work of the coaching staff: “There have been some changes. The coaches understood that they had to understand the players and not the other way around. Communication between coaching staff and players has also improved. The players have reacted after the disappointment in Nottingham. The coaches placed great emphasis on defensive behavior and penalty killing and were not disappointed by the players. Both sides have learned from the mistakes of the past.”

…the upcoming tasks: “The “Austria Cup” is on the program in Klagenfurt in a month. We will meet in Bolzano on December 11th and will train there four times before traveling to Carinthia on December 4th. There we will face Poland on December 13th and either Austria or Hungary the next day. In between there will be player scouting and exchanges with the clubs.”

…the World Cup of the I. Division Group A in Bolzano next spring: “I'm looking forward to this major event and hope for promotion. I also hope that it will be an ice hockey festival for everyone. We are not the favorites this time and need the support of the fans. Maybe winning the tournament in Budapest will also increase their anticipation for the home World Cup.”

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Italy's tournament victory: What was positive and what was negative?

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