99ers star Rok Ticar

Graz instead of Ljubljana! “I listened to my heart”

99ers forward Rok Ticar (right) also shows what he can do on the ice in Graz.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Off to Ljubljana! After the 3:2 win against Innsbruck on Sunday (15), the next tough test awaits the 99ers ice hockey cracks. The league leaders from Graz want to keep storming through the league. And with Rok Ticar, most recently "Man of the Match", one player is particularly keen ahead of the clash in his home country.

All eyes will be on this man in Ljubljana on Sunday: Rok Ticar. The 99ers goalscorer, who has already introduced himself in Graz with two goals and three assists in seven games, was one of the guarantors that the team from Murstadt also won 3:2 against Innsbruck on Friday. It was not only his equalizer to make it 2:2 after trailing 2:0 that made him "Man of the Match". His presence and quality as a top striker also enriched the Lange team's game.

For Rok Ticar, the game in his Slovenian homeland is something very special. "Playing against Ljubljana is always special for me. I come from Jesenice. That's the big rival - you get that instilled in you as a young boy. It's like playing here against Klagenfurt," laughs the 35-year-old, who has also been the target of hostility from fans in Ljubljana in the past due to this rivalry and has often even been insulted from the stands. 

Last summer, Ticar had an offer from Ljubljana in addition to the one from Graz. "We talked about it. But in the end I thankfully declined. I simply had to listen to my heart. If you are so deeply rooted in Jesenice, then you can't sign in Ljubljana," smiles Ticar.

Rok Ticar (left) with Laibach buddy Robert Sabolic

(Bild: Rok Ticar)

Rok Ticar (left) with Robert Sabolic at the French Open in Paris

(Bild: Rok Ticar)

Nevertheless, the Slovenian has many good friends in the Ljubljana team. Robert Sabolic, one of his best buddies, is even on the ice with the "Dragons". "I've really known Robert since I was little. We train together every summer and always play together in an inline team. In the past, when we didn't have families, we used to go on vacation together." Absolute highlights? "A few years ago, we went to Turin to watch Juventus against Real. Unfortunately, we're also soccer rivals. I'm a huge Juve fan, Robert sticks by Real." Two years ago, the pair treated themselves to a trip to Paris for the French Open. "It always has to be something to do with sport."

Green light from the wife
Away from the ice, however, family is all that matters to Ticar. "Unfortunately, she's not with me in Graz. One of my two daughters started school in September. I'm also 35 years old now. At some point, you have to decide as a family where you want to live. And that is now in Slovenia." Of course, the distance is not always easy for Ticar. "But they come to visit at the weekends, which is always a great time. It was important that my wife also gave the green light for the move to Graz in the summer. After all, it's a family decision - and she fully supported it."

I just want to win. In the end, we all want to drink champagne from the same cup. It doesn't matter who scores the goals!

99ers-Stürmer Rok Ticar

Ticar really feels at home in Graz. "You could feel this hunger for success right from the start. Everyone wants to win something here. You already noticed that in the preparation and you can also see it on the ice. And I also like the city. Kenny Ograjensek, who played here for many years, only told me positive things about Graz beforehand," says the full-blooded forward, who has always scored around 40 points in the league in recent years. Personal goals for this season? "I just want to win. In the end, we all want to drink champagne from the same cup. It doesn't matter who scores the goals!"