Filips Buncis has played in the Slovakian championship and in the HK “Nitra” team, where he competed for the position of the first shift center forward.
Photo: Rastislavs Bugels/”HK NITRA” FACEBOOK
Gints Narogs, “Latvijas Avīze”, JSC “Latvijas Mediji”
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Last weekend, the Slovakian club “Nitra” became the winner of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Continental Cup. In the final tournament, which took place in the French city of Angers, the Slovak club beat the Italian, French and Welsh teams in three matches. Among the winners of the cup was the striker of the Latvian national team Filips Buncis. Second place was taken by Angers “Ducs”, represented by Gints Meija. Buncis is the seventh Latvian hockey player to win the IIHF Continental Cup. Last year, Imants Leščovs had the opportunity with the Polish club “Cracovia”. For Filip Bunci, the final tournament in France ended in the first game. He was in the first shift with a lot of playing time, earned an assist, but then a nasty, but common hockey injury. Filips told “Latvijas Avīze” more about the story of what he experienced and accomplished in hockey.
F. Chickpeas: Unfortunately, in the first game against the Italian club “Asiago” at the beginning of the third period, I was quite unlucky to get hit in the eye with the opponent’s stick. I could not continue the match, I went to the hospital because my eye was swollen. Fortunately, the eyesight is fine, except now the eye is swollen shut, a classic hockey contusion if you get hit in the face with a stick. I had to miss the other two games because I couldn’t see out of one eye.
The joy of victory must also be great?
Definitely, because this season has gone differently for us – up and down. Therefore, this success is important for the team to gain additional confidence to better play the rest of the Slovak Championship. It’s always nice to win a cup, it will definitely be good for the team.
How did you celebrate your success?
We celebrated, but without crazy things, because the game schedule is tight. Even before the Continental Cup, there were many matches, so everyone’s playing time was balanced. Even now, many important and principled games are expected, so we didn’t have any big celebration.
The next game for the team is ahead. Can you go to the field already?
I myself hope that I will be able to, if not on Friday, then on the weekend, but we have to look day by day. Otherwise, I feel good physically, everything is fine with my health, I just have to wait for the eye to open.
You mentioned that you’ve had a rollercoaster ride this season. “Nitra” is currently in second-to-last place in the Slovakian championship, but you can still jump on the playoff train. What’s the mood in the team?
We are determined. Yes, there were stretches of losing streaks in November and December. There were games where we performed well, but we lacked a little bit of a point. We have been working hard, playing against the top teams in the league since the turn of the year and we have won three games in four matches. We are on the right track. Each next game will be even more important because the tournament table is quite tight, our next matches are against teams in the middle and bottom, direct rivals. We have climbed out of the hole, if we continue to play as we did in January, then everything will be fine and we can still enter the play off.
You are the second most productive player of the Nitra team this season. Are you satisfied with your performance?
You can always do better. Yes, I’m second at the moment, but we have to admit that our team is not doing so well with their productivity and it’s not super shiny. In the first half of the season, we struggled as a team to score goals, giving up one or two pucks a game. However, everything is going its way, in the last two or three months I am already much happier with my game, because both the team and myself are doing better. Tune in for the rest of the season because we can definitely do better.
You started the season under the leadership of Normund Šejės, but he was released from the position of head coach in November. The club management was not satisfied with the results?
It is difficult to say about the opinion of the club management. I was sorry that Normund left, because the training process and the management of the games were at a very high level. I enjoyed playing under the Sower and realized that the players had no complaints either. It’s a shame that it happened, but I understand that they parted ways without much bitterness.
Looking at the “Nitra” line-up, defender Branislavs Mezejs catches the eye. Team captain, 42 years old, seven seasons in the NHL. He is a leader in the locker room?
Undoubtedly, because we have a fairly young team, but Mezejs and another defender Ivan Švarny (38), who has a lot of experience, are the leaders of the team in the dressing room. Able to say the necessary words at a difficult moment, cheer up. They have gone through a lot in their hockey career.
Last season, “Nitra” played in the finals of the Slovakian championship, now they will have to make a big effort to get to the playoffs. Did the lineup change significantly in the offseason?
Some six players, some of the leaders, left for other leagues or were drafted to the NHL. Therefore, the beginning was more difficult, although the foundation has already remained. The whole Slovak league is much more interesting this season, because the teams have strengthened a lot, taken a step up, the games are much tougher. We struggled at the beginning, but we have a strong squad. In Slovakia this season, any team can beat anyone, the level has risen.
Moved to Slovakia last year. How did you feel in their championship?
When it became clear that the season of “Dinamo” Riga was over, I looked for opportunities where I could still play. There was an offer, I was very excited that I could go to Nitra, because the club was in third place at that time. I thought it was very interesting how it would all work, because jumping into a team at the last minute is not that easy for either the player or the team. It was an interesting situation, but I immediately settled in well, the guys accepted me, the coaches, the management were open and helpful. That stage was very cool because it was the first time in my professional career that I played in the play off. Already in the first round, there was a great expansion, but the final against “Slovan” Bratislava was already a great experience. I could enjoy hockey.
Already in June of last year, you extended the contract with “Nitra”. How long have you agreed on?
For this season. We haven’t talked about further cooperation yet, and I’m not thinking about it at the moment either, because I’m better focused on the second half of the season.
This season, he participated in both test tournaments of the Latvian national team. What emotions are left from those tournaments?
The best. It is always a great pleasure to go to the national team, to meet all your friends who have not seen each other for a long time, to play together. It gave me extra emotions. If things are more difficult in the club, then go with the national team to Norway, win two victories and come back with a different mood. Both tournaments were good. Although we didn’t manage to beat Slovakia in the second one, which would have been really cool for me, because then I could walk into the club’s dressing room with my head held high, but the feelings after the national team are always uplifting.
In May, the world championship will be held in Riga. How do you rate your chances of being included?
It’s hard to say, time will tell. Club games are the most important thing for me now. When spring comes closer, we will see. First, be healthy. I will do everything in my power to help the Latvian national team.
This season, seven Latvians are playing in the Slovakian championship. Much more than last year.
It is pleasant, because it is much more interesting and more principled to play against one of your own. Of course, we also talk after the matches. I am very glad that the other guys here in Slovakia have also had a successful season and are playing well.
Nitra is a small city, but with a great hockey tradition. What kind of fan support do you have?
I would say we have the best fans in the league. The hall has about 4,000 seats and is practically always sold out. Fans rise and fall for the team. They are the loudest in the league, inside the team with all the heart. It showed when we had a losing streak because they still came and supported us. After the games, we talked with them right there at the hall, how we can help each other. Good relations, even personal, with slogans, traditions after games. Nitra is definitely a fantastic hockey city.
You once went to the United States at the age of 17, spent seven years there, studied for the last three and a half and played hockey in the US student (NCAA) championship with the Arizona State University team. What did you learn about?
I managed to complete my bachelor’s program in three years, then I also obtained my master’s degree remotely during covid. I got my bachelor’s degree in business communication, but in my master’s degree I studied business law.
Will it be useful after a hockey career?
I hope so. I have always liked to learn, school time was interesting. I believe that the more you do, the more you will do. Maybe that’s why I got two diplomas in four years. When I left for the USA, I had not finished high school yet, I completed the last two years in distance learning.
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