SLOVAN TAMES THE LIONS!

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - HC Lev Praha 5:2 (2:0, 1:0, 2:2)

Goals: 5. Vondrka (Ölvecký, Miklík), 19. Netík (J. Mikúš, Kutlák), 37. Ölvecký (Vondrka, Miklík), 59. Netík (Bartovič), 60. Miklík - 47. Ridderwall (Sekáč), 59. Birner (O’Byrne, Řepík)

Penalties: 5:7 (2 min.), + Řepík (Lev) 10 min (unsportsmanlike conduct). Powerplay Goals: 1:0, Shorthanded: 0:0. Officials: Wiegand (SUI), Sergeyev - Golovlyov, Shelyanin (all RUS). Attendance: 10,055 (sell-out)

HC SLOVAN Bratislava: Janus - Škoula, Kutlák, Sersen, Mojžíš, Štajnoch, Sigalet - Netík, J. Mikúš, Bartovič - Miklík, Ölvecký, Vondrka - Kukumberg, Bližňák, L. Hudáček - M. Daňo, Matoušek, R. Mráz

Lev Praha: Vehanen - Jaakola, O’Byrne, Ševc, Gragnani, Nakládal, O. Němec, Humphries - Thörnberg, Zackrisson, Klepiš - Sekáč, Azevedo, Ridderwall - Danielsson, Christensen, J. Novotný - Řepík, P. Vrána, Birner

The visitors may have started the game positively, but Slovan – dressed in special sky blue jerseys - was first on the scoresheet. Surging forward two-on-one in the fifth minute, Ölvecký fed Vondrka, who drew the goalie, swept round him and slotted home – 1:0. Within a minute, Birner had a chance at the other end, but Janus was alert. The first Slovan powerplay, in the 14^th minute, bore no fruit. But when Novotný was penalized for boarding in the 18^th, the Sky Blues made the Lions pay, putting together a neat combination which Netík finished from an angle – 2:0.

Early in the second period, with Slovan on the penalty kill, Ölvecký and Netík broke free, but this time Vehanen succeeded in keeping them out. In the 26^th minute, the puck fell to defenseman Jaakola, but he could only manage a shot into the knot of players in front of Janus. Our goaltender later kept out efforts from Němec and Azevedo, while Sersen tested Vehanen at the other end. In the 37^th minute, it was Vondrka’s turn to supply Ölvecký, and the second-line center made it look easy as he knocked in the third goal – 3:0. The team from Prague sought out a way back into the game, and though not capitalizing in a four-on-three powerplay, they pulled a goal back in the 47^th minute. Sekáč received the puck in the attacking zone and set up Ridderwall to score from between the circles 3:1. Řepík also had a chance soon after, but his shot went well over the crossbar.

Klepiš also spurned a chance to reduce the deficit in the 56^th minute, but when Lev pulled the goalie in the 58th, Netík added a fourth into the empty net – 4:1. Birner did then pull one back in the 59th, but Slovan had the last word, Miklík intercepting the puck as Vehanen skated off, and sweeping into the empty net – 5:2.