We have a new golden generation in Swedish floorball.
The players born in 2004-2005 won a long-awaited gold on the U19 side last spring.
For Saturday’s SC final, almost half of those players will be there and settle for the SC gold in the Friends Arena.
A total of nine – six in Pixbo and three in Storvreta.
– When I saw everyone in the national team, I knew it was something special. We were good. We didn’t lose a game in the World Cup. But we were actually quite bad in the first U19 year. We rode around and got dung from all sorts of teams. When it comes down to it, I trust these guys. I hope our guys are better than their guys tomorrow, says Gabriel Kohonen at the press conference the day before floorball takes over Friends Arena.
– We are good friends, of course. But tomorrow we are not friends.
“Tomorrow is war”
Pixbo’s Daniel Kalentun is on the same page.
The 18-year-old was recently named back of the year in SSL after an impressive season.
– We are close, but on a weekend like this we don’t talk very much. Then you hang with your team and don’t think much about it.
But will you talk afterwards?
– It will certainly be at the after-party. Now we are charging for the SM final.
THE U19 GOLD HEROES IN THE SM FINAL
GREAT WRATH
Gabriel Kohonen
Oscar Magnusson
Sakarias Ulriksson
PIXBO
Oscar Hammarqvist
Victor Johansson
Daniel Kalentun
Gustav Lindberg
Benjamin Schill
Arvid Äse
Show more
Gabriel Kohonen came to Storvreta for this year’s season.
The 19-year-old’s season has been talked about.
54 points in 24 games. A fifth place in the points league and awarded as rookie of the year.
Before that, he went to Riksinnebandygymnasiet in Umeå for three years. Together with teammates Sakarias Ulriksson and Oscar Magnusson. Pixbo’s Arvid Äse was also in the same class.
– We lived side by side for three years. It’s hard not to get tight then. But tomorrow it won’t matter if you meet a brother. Tomorrow is war. Afterwards we hug. Not before, says Gabriel Kohonen.
“10-0 or 10-9 settles”
He became tightest with Sakarias Ulriksson.
The two 19-year-olds are best friends – but that doesn’t mean they share a hotel room before the SC final.
– We can’t live with each other, then we sleep an hour a night. We fight too much with each other. He’s so stubborn and gets me up to speed too, so it won’t be good. We have known each other for too long, says Gabriel Kohonen.
He instead shares a room with Oscar Magnusson.
– Me and “Mange” work well together. He’s a bit of a father figure. He is an old man and goes to bed around 8 p.m. Then I can unwind in peace. It’s absolutely perfect.
Storvreta could become historic in floorball Sweden on Saturday.
They can then win their eighth SM gold.
Gabriel Kohonen doesn’t care how it happens.
– As long as we win, it’s a dream for me. The dream scenario is for us to have a really entertaining match as well. For me it settles if it’s 10-0 or 10-9.
Daniel Kalentun:
– As a team, we know what we have to do. We support each other in everything. The duels become important. It is important that we find keys against their defense. We invest in defense first and then we have the world’s best goalkeeper (Jon Hedlund). Going forward, there will be goals.
Watch the SM finals on Saturday with Expressen. You can find all information about the broadcasts here.
READ MORE: Premium The SSL panel: Enough to play at 75 percent
READ MORE: The audience brawl – when floorball chases world records
