One of the most exciting games this MOL League season was played on Monday night as DVTK Jegesmedvék visited Újpest as the top to teams in the league faced off against each other. Slovenian forward Andrej Hebar finished with one goal and two assists in the exciting win. Early in the match week he also registered a hat trick against Beogard and is this week’s Player of the Week.
Andrej Hebar has been named the MOL League Player of the Week for the second time this season, Hebar joined Dávid Szappanos has the only player to win the award twice in one season. It is clear that Hebar was a good offseason pickup for UTE as he has 19 goals to go along with his 16 assists this season for a total of 35 points in 24 games. We caught up with Andrej after a midweek practice.
Is it possible to compare the two games this past week, against Beogard and DVTK?
We prepare for each game the same way regardless of who we are playing but we knew that DVTK is a better team, they are the two time champions of the MOL League and it would be a very hard to team to play against. We were equally prepared to face both clubs thanks to the work that the coaching staff did. I think in the end the closeness of our team and the willingness to play for each other helped us.
What has been the secret to the winning streak that UTE has been on?
When it started we didn’t think we would win so many games in a row. Each game is a new game for us and each one starts out that we know we have 60 minutes of word ahead of us. We respect all the teams in the league, we don’t go out thinking that they are better than us. We do the work both on and off the ice and right now things are going well. One important aspect is that we are a really good group of guys who all understands each other. It has only happened once before in my career that I have played with such a good group of guys, and it's a big reason. Overall the coaching staff to the players everyone is doing a great job and we only have to do is concentrate on hockey.
Earlier in the season you were linemates with András Benk and Martin Frolik, this past match week you were with Anze Ropret and Karol Csányi, do you have good chemistry with everyone?
We really understand each other in the locker room and I think this is the main reason things are going well. If you understand each other off the ice and they are there for you, then on the ice there shouldn’t be any problems. I have played with just about everyone on the team, it is nice to score a goal but in reality it doesn't really matter who scores just as long as we have more than the other team at the end of the game.
There is now a third Slovenian on the team in Anze Ropret, everyone has seen what he can do on the ice but what is he like off the and what kind of addition is he to the locker room?
The staff asked me what kind of person is he and I have known him for years so I only had good things to say. He is a really nice person in the locker room and a great player. He is a great skater and has a good shot as well. This team is built on character and I think he fit in fine as we do not have the most talent but we have good chemistry and good work ethic.
Slovenia will be playing in the U20 Division 1/B World Championships in Budapest, will you Ales Sila and Anze Ropret go to see any of the games and the future of Slovenian hockey?
We will be on a road trip in Romania when the tournament starts, but I was already talking to Ales and Anze about seeing a couple of games when we get back. Of course I want to see the boys play, see what kind of players they are and to cheer for them.
