Czech hockey players defeated Slovakia for the second time in the Euro Hockey Challenge. After a 5:1 win on Thursday, the team of coach Kari Jalonen won again in the RT Torax Arena 3:2 after raids and succeeded in the fourth game of the final preparations for the World Cup. Radan Lenc scored the winning goal in the shootout.
Jalonen’s men led twice in the match. Roman Horák’s early goal was answered by Jozef Baláž on the power play in the first period, and in the second half Martin Faško-Rudáš responded to Radan Lence’s goal from a numerical advantage.
The Czech team will meet again on Monday in Brno for the third week of training, and in the next Euro Hockey Challenge match they will play against Austria on Thursday in Vienna. The rematch will then take place on Saturday in Brno.
Similar to Thursday, the Czech team quickly took the lead and opened the scoring after only 77 seconds. Tomášek found an uncovered Horák from behind the goal between the circles, who headed towards the left post. Immediately, Michal Kovařčík threatened, but he failed to finish the penetration. After that, Lenc found himself in a chance three times.
In the 14th minute, the Slovaks answered in a power play. After Lantoš’s pass from close range, Hrubec Čacho did not shoot, but Baláž equalized from the stop. Moments later, after Špaček’s pass, Lenc could have returned the lead to Jalonen’s selection again from the position between the circles, but Škorvánek was helped by the crossbar.
In the 23rd minute, a Jönköping HV 71 player already got a goal. When Sukeľ was sent off, Horák found him from behind the goal in front of the goal area and Lenc headed to the right post. Chlapík was close to increasing the difference after the breakthrough. At 27:57, the game was tied. Takač sent Fašek-Rudáš from the defensive zone to the offensive blue line, who worked the puck out of the air and hit the upper left corner of Hrubc’s goal.
The Czech team did not use the power play during Čach’s penalty, then Adam Najman found Beránek in front of the goal, who headed wide with a backhand. During a four-on-four game, he tried to surprise the Slovak goalkeeper from behind Sobotek’s goal. On the other hand, he didn’t allow Fašek-Rudáš to get into Pých’s chance.
In the 46th minute, he found himself alone in front of Hrubec Lunter, but he was still pressed by Sobotka and failed. The Czech goalkeeper dealt with both Čach’s shot and Takač’s shot. In the middle of the third period, after Ivan’s chance, Baláž threw the puck into the goal with his hand.
Kundrátek and Beránek could have taken the lead for the Czech side in the 54th minute, but the duel reached extra time. The Slovaks defended themselves in the set-up after Gernát’s exclusion. The raids were not prevented from escaping by Smejkal, who did not shoot Škorvánek with an attempt between the concrete, nor by Lantoš on the other side. He got himself in front of Hrubec, but after a forehand bluff he didn’t overturn his left concrete.
In the raids, Špaček and Lenc prevailed for the Czech team, Hrubec was surpassed only by Pánik with a great backhand trick with the blade turning to the ice.
Euro Hockey Challenge in Ostrava:
Czech Republic – Slovakia 3:2 after sam. raids (1:1, 1:1, 0:0 – 0:0)
Goals and assists: 2. R. Horák (Tomášek, Horký), 23. Lenc (R. Horák, Sobotka), decisive sam. raid Lenc – 14. J. Baláž (Čacho, Lantoši), 28. Faško-Rudáš (Takáč). Referees: Mrkva, Kubicík – Lederer, Axman (all from the Czech Republic). Exclusion: 3:5. Usage: 1:1. Viewers: 2946.
Czech Republic: Hrubec – Ščotka, Jordán, Kundrátek, Kempný, Kučerík, Němeček, Pýcha, Moravčík – Lenc, M. Špaček, Smejkal – Tomášek, R. Horák, Horký – H. Zohorna, Sobotka, Chlapík – O. Beránek, M. Kovarčík, A. Najman. Coach: Kari Jalonen.
Slovakia: Škorvánek – M. Ivan, Gernát, Golian, Gajdoš, Jánošík, Beňo, Gachulinec – Pánik, Lantoši, J. Baláž – Holešinský, M. Sukeľ, Kudrna – Faško-Rudáš, Tamáši, Takač – Petráš, Čacho, Lunter. Coach: Craig Ramsay.
