World Junior 2015: For Slovakia, first bronze medal in 16 years brings 'indescribable feelings'

TORONTO — Two weeks before the world junior, betting site Bodog.ca didn't even offer odds on Slovakia winning a medal. Now here they are, after putting their support back home into their hearts.

Absorbing how their success had made believers in a country often known for self-effacement helped Slovakia stay motivated on Monday and knock off sluggish Sweden 4-2 for its first bronze since 1999. With only two major junior players on the roster — Monday's game-winning goal scorer David Soltes and linchpin Martin Réway, the Montreal Canadiens prospect who had three assists — they left having won some hearts, while goalie Denis Godla will likely win the IIHF's top goaltender of the award. Not bad for a team that lost its first game 8-0.

"I don't even have the words for this," forward Samuel Petras said, perma-smile plastered across his face. "It's like every year, the goal was defeat one opponent, like Switzerland and Germany, and just make quarter-finals. So we go through the quarter-final with the Czechs and the semifinal was a tough game, since Canada has a very good team. I prayed we would have good luck in the final. This is amazing.

"Everybody was sending a lot of messages of 'good luck' for us," Petras added. "Everybody was watching it on TV. For the quarter-finals against Czech was watched by maybe 40 per cent of people who were watching TV. It's amazing feeling when everybody supports you."

Slovakia scored twice in the first four minutes before Sweden and Toronto Maple Leafs prized prospect William Nylander, who played a 100-foot game on Monday, even recorded a shot on Godla. The deeper Swedes levelled by the end of the second, but defenceman Julius Bergman got an interference major/game misconduct at the end of the frame for a blindside hit.

Soltes makes up for lost time

Opportunity had knocked. Slovakia tore the door off the hinges when Soltes, of the WHL's Prince George Cougars, wired a Réway feed under Sweden goalie Linus Soderstrom 2:47 into the third. It was a great moment for Soltes, who missed the 2014 world junior due to a season-ending knee injury.

"It's indescribable feelings," Soltes, a native of Kosice, Slovakia, said through an interpreter. "For Slovakia, it doesn't happen every day. We're happy for everyone. It's a really big deal for the junior for Slovakia

"We believed from the beginning," Soltes added. "Just after the first loss to Canada, we concentrated."

Godla and a supporting cast that has developed synergy by playing together in Slovakia's pro league mad that go--ahead goal. Towering defenceman Erik Cernak was omnipresent down the stretch. Réway made a veteran move with a minute left, using some sleight-of-hand to dribble the puck by a pinching Swede and out to centre ice. The 19-year-old then passed up an empty-net bid and fed Patrik Koys, who buried the bronze sealer.

"Since we won against Finland [on Dec. 27], it was just crazy in Slovakia," Réway said. "We can only say big thanks to them because we couldn't have done it against them."

Coach Ernest Dokros' team, apart from its two losses to powerhouse Canada, was impossible to get rid of if they stuck around. It's a model the country would do well to emulate in the years ahead as it tries to stay in the second tier of the WJC's top flight.

"When we came here, nobody expected to make semifinals," said Réway, who played two seasons with the Gatineau Olympiques before turning pro this summer. "I'm not surprised nobody expected us to, but I'm not surprised that we made it this far.

"Something good for Slovakia is to start thinking ahead, that we can beat good teams if playing as a team is the most important thing."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.