Mainly with your feet on the ground. Comet Kavan tries to imitate She received: It would be beautiful…

Jan Kavan greets the fans after the Comets advance to the semi-finals | Photo: Markéta Křížová, hc-kometa.cz

Twelve games were enough for him to be included among the great discoveries of the extra-league season. The 18-year-old goalkeeper Jan Kavan entered senior hockey in an absolutely stunning way, but he has already put his time in the A team behind him. Now he would like to lead the Brno Junior Komety, with whom he advanced to the semi-finals, to the championship title.

Jan Kavan

goalkeeper, 18 years old

” href=”https://www.hokej.cz/hrac/jan-kavan/10093587″>Jan Kavan exceeded all expectations in the goalkeeper of the Brno A-team. We would probably have to go very far back in history to find another goalkeeper in his age, who entered the senior extra league in such a famous way as he did.

He pitched in twelve games, ten of which he caught from the start. He celebrated victory eight times and exceeded 93 percent with his success rate!

The scepter of the Brno goalpost was then taken back by a recovered man

Dominic Furch

goalkeeper, 33 years old

” href=”https://www.hokej.cz/hrac/dominik-furch/10449″>Dominik Furch. But while his season was already over, Kavan returned to the junior team and with it he is now looking for success. Young Brno players finished in the secondary part of the second, in the dramatic quarter-finals they passed Liberec after a 3:2 result, and on Friday they will enter the highly anticipated semi-final series against Sparta Prague.

“We certainly did not expect that it would be so difficult to play against Liberec.”

Hon, how are you feeling after your first playoff winning streak?
I am very happy that we eliminated Liberec. The series was very close, which we expected, but we certainly did not expect him to be so difficult to play against. I’m happy for our whole team that we can continue in the season.

Why did the series end up siding with you?
Perhaps the fact that we had a two-week break before the quarter-finals played a role, so we had more energy. Above all, this year we have enormous strength in the team. Even though the series did not develop in a friendly way for us, we still believed that we would turn it around.

Tomáš Galvas and Jaromír Pérez from the A-team also took Liberec into the playoffs. You must have felt them on the ice.
Sure, I noticed every time those two were on the ice and I was twice as attentive. As you say, both are excellent hockey players. We also know each other from the national team, so I knew plus or minus what to expect from them, and they probably didn’t surprise me with anything.

Are you enjoying being able to continue the season until April?
It’s good for me that I can now focus on just one competition and one team. I’ll try to get him as far as possible. I know there is a lot of power in this team.

“It’s always harder to go from a better competition to a worse one. One needs to adapt a little.”

Was it difficult for you to switch back from A to Junior?
Sure, it’s always harder to go from a better competition to a worse one. One needs to adapt a little. But as I completed these transitions with clouds during the season, it was no longer a problem for me.

How do you look back on the fantastic experience in A?
I am so grateful that it happened this way. Unfortunately, Domino (furch) he got injured and I got an opportunity. I tried to grab her by the scruff of the neck, which I think I did quite well. It gave me great experience to continue my career and a lot of confidence until the end of the season.

Jan Kavan in the jersey of the Brno A-team | Photo: Vít Golda, hc-kometa.cz

Don’t be modest, you did it fabulously.
(smiles) Yes, but I have to keep my feet on the ground. One successful season does nothing.

You would definitely remember her much better if she ended up with the junior title. Do you actually know the last time a Brno junior advanced to the semi-finals?
(thinking) Wasn’t that the title season?

She was, six years ago. And you know who was catching?
He made it. I know it (Laughs).

“I have to keep my feet on the ground. One good season doesn’t do anything.”

Exactly. I remember like now when we did the interview after the final in the same place in front of the booth. It’s quite a challenge to follow up on him, don’t you think?
Certainly! But somehow I don’t cling to it. I have to concentrate match by match, go tackle by tackle and show the maximum that is in me. Of course, it would be nice if we succeeded, but we must always be humble and humble and appreciate the fact that we have come this far. At the same time, we have to always think in such a way that we win every match and nobody takes us down.

This is also on your shoulders. The series with Liberec offered a contrast in that, while the opponent had two perfectly balanced goalkeepers, you are the clear number one. Unless something extraordinary happens, you will probably catch all the matches.
That’s right, but so is the second goalkeeper (Jan Ondráček) he is of very good quality for how young he is. When I was in the A team, he represented me very well and gave the boys the same confidence as I did. But it’s about the whole team, not just the goalkeeper. The defenders help me a lot many times, and the forwards, for example, blocked shots excellently in the promotion match.

Will it be more difficult to face Sparta, which also has the great Petr Hauser in its midst?
Certainly, but I believe that we will properly prepare for it again. We have to make it, we trust them.

Feel like a derby?
It’s like El Clásico like in Spain (Laughs). Sparta is a big rival, but we have to take it normally as another opponent. Not to be overmotivated, but at the same time not to be too down to earth.

“It’s like El Clásico like in Spain.”

You already had a great atmosphere in the fifth match against Liberec. And now that the Comets have dropped out, I dare say that over a thousand people could certainly come to see you on Friday and Saturday.
I’m really looking forward to it, because I really liked the atmosphere at A’s and enjoyed it a lot. Of course, it would be great if the audience came to support us. It always gives the team more juice and energy, they also helped us against Liberec. The atmosphere was great.

After the extra league experience, your knees probably won’t knock, see?
I already know what to expect so it shouldn’t happen (smiles).