Škoda was able to equalize twice in the fight with the favorite, but in the end they suffered a 3:5 loss in the packed O2 arena.
Spartan goalkeeper Jakub Kovář covers the puck in Sunday’s match with Škodovka Pilsen.
| Photo: hcplzen.cz
Eight goals were scored in Sunday’s shootout between Sparta and the hockey players Škoda Plzeň, but three points remained in Prague in the end. Nevertheless, Škoda gave a hearty performance in the last duel before the national team break. It was not known that in the 18th round, the third and eleventh teams of the extra league met each other.
Despite the unfavorable development, the Indians managed to return to the match twice, equalizing at 1:1 and in the second period at 3:3, but they did not respond to the opponent’s fourth goal and, just like before in Pilsen, they fell to Sparta.
In the beginning, the guests defended a two-minute deficit to three, but then in the 11th minute they conceded after Chlapík’s swing in a balanced state. And although the home team continued to have the upper hand, Plzeň equalized in the power play before the break – Lev scored.
In the second period, the goal kicks started. First, the home team ran away to a blockbuster moment. In the 24th minute, Forman shot past the visitors’ goalkeeper Pavlát, and after only 51 seconds, Němeček reinforced the Spartans’ advantage with a shot from the angle. But the home team lulled, while a hungry Pilsen was pushing for hope. The defender Piskáček surprised Kovář with a great shot from the right circle and celebrated the first goal of the season. And then, with a numerical advantage, Hrabík prevailed after the combination.
To the joy of the large cauldron of Pilsen fans in the audience, it was tied again and the sparkling match in the packed arena (10,548 spectators) gained even more drama.
But after the half of the match, there was another dismissal from Pilsen, and an uncovered Irving decided the match with a bomb from the center of the ring.
The Indians didn’t give up even after that, but goalkeeper Kovář held his team and in the third part the Praguers smartly defended their narrow lead. In the end, Hrabík just narrowly missed the home cage, Spartan Kousal was picked up again by Pavlát in the attack.
And then, two minutes before the end, Škodovka went for a power-play, Forman took advantage of a mistake in the play-off and scored three points into the abandoned goal.
Sparta Prague – Škoda Pilsen 5:3
Periods: 1:1, 3:2, 1:0. Goals and assists: 11. Chlapík (Řepík), 24. Forman (P. Kousal, Mozík), 25. Němeček (Moravčík, Sobotka), 35. Irving (Horák, P. Kousal), 59. Forman – 18. Lev ( Zámorský, Söderlund), 27. Piskáček (M. Soukup), 30. Hrabík (Zámorský, Lev). Referee: Veselý, Ondráček – Lhotský, Špůr.
Exclusion: 4:4. Usage: 1:2. Shots on goal: 44:20. Viewers: 10,548.
Best players: Pavel Kousal – Petr Zámorský.
Sparta: J. Kovář – Moravčík, Mozík, Kempný, Mikliš, Němeček, Irving, Krejčík – Forman, Horák, P. Kousal – Chlapík, Sobotka, Řepík – Buchtele, Lajunen, Kestner – Mužík, O. Najman, Konečný. Trainers: Gross and Hořava.
Pilsen: Pavlát – Malák, Zámorský, Kvasnička, Jiříček, Houdek, Piskáček – Lev, Söderlund, Holešinský – Indrák, Schleiss, Rekonen – Jansa, Hrabík, Matýs – M. Soukup, Straka. Coaches: Kořínek and Bombic.
