HC Košice
Quarterfinals - Game 2
2 : 1
(0:0, 2:0, 0:1)
HC '05 Banská Bystrica

HC 05 Banská Bystrica - HC Košice 2:1 (0:0, 2:0, 0:1)

Goals and assists: 23. Lamper (Delisle, Brittain), 38. Bubela (Pretnar) - 41. Čížek (Nagy, Pacan)

Penalized players: 6:6 for two minutes., also: Brejčák (BBY - 10. minutes for checking to the head and neck area), Gabor (BBY - 10. minutes for roughing), Dudáš (KOS - 10 minutes for checking to the head and neck area), power-play: 1:0, short-handed plays: 0:0, referees: Snášel, Orolin - Stanzel, Kramár, 2702 visitors

HC 05 iClinic Banská Bystrica: Lukáš – Kubka, Ďatelinka, Pretnar, Mihálik, Delisle, Gelinas, Gabor, Brejčák – Lamper, Surový, Hrnka - Hohmann, Bubela, Bartánus – Skalický, Faille, Asselin – Brittain, Češík, Bortňák

HC Košice: Habal – Šedivý, Čížek, Dudáš, Kessel, Pulli, Koch, Hudák, Michalčin – Nagy, Pacan, Miklík – Hovorka, Suja, Spilar – Šoltés, Klíma, Kafka – Vrábeľ, Petráš, Hričina

The beginning of the second quarterfinal game in Banská Bystrica was really active as Košice could have taken the lead already in the 1st minute of the match. Šedivý wanted to use Kessel who was blocking goalie's view and send a shot on goal. However, Czech goalie Lukáš reflexively cleared the puck and managed to keep it alive. Similar situation took place just 2 minutes later, this time Šoltés tried to help out Šedivý, but unsuccessfully. On the other side of the rink, Asselin finished his attack during power-play, and even if his shot was accurate, it did not really surprise Habala. The game started to lose on tempo, but Kafka wouldn't let that happen. He got in front of Lukáš and threatened him for 2 times, but it was not enough for a goal. On the other side Bartánus was doing well, but the players of Banská Bystrica did not catch his intention and they only passed by the puck. The first period was full of penalties, however none of the teams used its man-advantage to score the initial goal. Bortňák did not manage to score, even if he fired in a balanced state. So, the first period ended 0:0, the spectators did not see a goal in the first 20 minutes.

The middle period of the full regulation time was a little bit calmer, and so the first 2 minutes brought only promotional scoring opportunities. For Banská Bystrica, Skalický made a few scoring attempts, but Habal decided to stop the game. On the other side, Hričina finished his attack, but his shot was blocked by Lukáš. The score finally changed in the 23rd minute, when Lamper received a deflected shot, and sent the puck into the net of Košice. The Steelers wanted to tie the score, but Miklík's shot was blocked by the defense. Neither Kafka scored the game tying goal, as his shot went just by the net of Banská Bystrica. The 38th minute brought a punishment in form of the second home players' goal, this time a power-play goal. Bubela gained control of the puck immediately after face-off, and altered the score to 2:0 for the Rams. Berfore the end of thr period Nagy tried to change it, waiting for his perfect striking position, his shot however, did not result in a goal. After 40 minutes of the match, the score was still 2:0.

Unfavorable score did not put off the players of Košice - the opposite is true. The Steelers entered the 3rd period extremely actively, and the result was a goal in the 28th second of the game. Nagy won the face-off for Čížek, who sent a shot on goal from the blue line and did not give Lukáš a chance. This situation made the second quarterfinal game even more dramatical, and the players of Banská Bystrica were not really happy about it. Therefore, facing Habala, Bartánus wanted to alter the score to 3:1 in the 44th minute, but Habala saved the puck. Neither Lamper who was responsible for two-on-one outnumbering presented himself. Košice tried to threaten Lukáš from all possible positions. 4 minutes before the end of period Nagy and Šoltés attempted to score, but their pucks did not end in the net. The score was not changed even in the final minutes of the game, and so the quarter finals shift to Košice with current balance 2:0 for Banská Bystrica.

Vladimír Országh, coach of Banská Bystrica: "Similarly as yesterday, we have watched a highly balanced match full of scoring chances. For us the first period was the key one, when we managed to defend our net in many shorthanded games. In the second one, we scored 2 times and even if Košice scored the contact goal, we managed to save the game. We are traveling to Košice with humility, but obviously we want to win at least one match there."

Roman Šimíček, the coach of Košice: "I am sorry that we have not won any of the matches. We are fighting, we are trying hard, and we are a good opponent for Banská Bystrica, but we lack efficiency. Today, little things were decisive, unfortunately they decided about our loss."

GALLERY