SLOVAN SHOOTS DOWN SWEDEN’S HV71!

HC SLOVAN Bratislava – HV 71 Jönköping 7:4 (2:1, 4:1, 1:2)

Goals: 1. Miklík (Sersen, Bližňák), 15. Bartovič (Miklík, Bližňák), 25. Bartovič (Bližňák, Miklík), 28. T.Mikúš (R.Mráz, Kolena), 34. Sersen (Miklík, Škoula.), 35. Hudáček (Sigalet, Kutlák), 57. Bartovič (Bližňák) – 11. Brithén (Bengtsson, Larsson), 33. Karlsson (Petrasek, Carlsson), 44. Sterling (Gagnon, Krog), 57. Sterling (Milson, Holzapfel). Officials: Novák, Kubuš. Penalties: 3:7, plus Štajnoch 5 min. + Rest of game, Williamsson 10 min. Powerplays: 2:1. Shots on goal: 37:33. Easton Arena, Piešťany. Attendance: 2, 167.

Lineups:

HC SLOVAN: Janus – Sersen, Škoula, Sigalet, Kutlák, Štajnoch, Mojžíš, Brejčák, Kudrna – Bartovič, Bližňák, Miklík, Hudáček, J. Mikúš, Netík, Daňo, Bakoš, Kukumberg, R. Mráz, T. Mikúš, Kolena.

HV 71: Wesslau – Larsson, Fantenberg, Petrasek, Karlsson, Williamsson, Fälth, Jansson – Nilson, Krog, Gagnon, Sandberg, Johnsson, Strandberg, Hlozapfel, Bengtsson, Sterling, W. Karlsson, Carlsson, Davidsson, Lindstrom, Brithen, Jämtin.

Playing in Piešťany, as the SLOVNAFT Arena was otherwise engaged, Slovan put in a good performance. Indeed it was local boy Michel Miklík who opened the score after just 40 seconds. HV71 then equalized midway through the first period, after several chances, before Bartovič restored the lead for Slovan, scoring between Wesslau’s pads.

Slovan really decided the game in their favor in the second period. Captain Bartovič scored from a two-on-one situation in the 25th minute, then three minutes later T. Mikúš got through a scrum to make it 4:1. Karlsson did manage to claw a goal back for the visitors, but Sersen restored Slovan’s three-goal lead, followed by Hudáček’s goal to make it 6:2.

In the final period, the visitors did their best to turn the game around, two goals from Sterling closing the gap to 6:4, but with the net already empty, they failed to score again, captain Bartovič instead scoring at the other end after an error by the HV71 backs.

Slovan players now top the statistics in this prestigious tournament. With eight goals, Milan Bartovič is the best forward in the competition, Michel Miklík leads the overall scores with 10 points, while defenseman Martin Škoula heads up the defense scoring table with 8 points. In addition, with 31 goals, Slovan has the best attack in the European Trophy!

Rostislav Čada: “Yes, we scored seven goals, but we shouldn’t have conceded four. It would be good if we put in such an enthusiastic, aggressive and disciplined performance on our first away trip. There were all sorts of playing situations in the game, and on the whole  we dealt with them well. Otherwise we wouldn’t have beaten a quality Swedish opponent.”