HC Sparta Praha » SPA – LIT 3:0 – Hard fought win over Verva
18/09/2022 | Stephen Křemen
2., Sunday 18 September 2022
HC Sparta Prague – HC VERVA Litvinov
SPA – LIT
HC Sparta Prague: J. Kovář – Graňák, Krejčík, Polášek, Jurčina, Němeček, Jandus, Mikliš – D. Simon, Horák, Řepík – E. Thorell, G. Thorell, Tomášek – Forman, Konečný, Kaše – Dvořáček, Vitouch, Přibyl.
HC VERVA Litvinov: Zajíček – Zile, Jaks, Šalda, Freibergs, Demel, Strejček, Zeman – Kudrna, Estephan, Zdráhal – Straka, Š. Stránský, Abdul – Chalupa, Sukeľ, Hlava – Zygmunt, Gut, Helt.
Goals and saves: 51. Polášek (Přibyl), 53. Přibyl (Dvořáček), 55. Vitouch (Přibyl).
Referee: Veselý, Šindel – Zíka, Šimánek.
Exclusion: 6:5.
Use: 1:0. In weakening: 0:0.
Spectators: 8,214.
Shots on goal: 27:25.
Course of the match: 3:0.
Best players of the match: Jakub Kovář – Šimon Stránský.
We welcomed Litvínov in the first home extraleague match. Adam Polášek broke the long-lasting goalless state with less than ten minutes before the end. Immediately, Daniel Přibyl and the celebrant David Vitouch made their mark with a three-pointer and secured our victory. To a large extent, the excellent Jakub Kovář also contributed to the result, keeping the first clean sheet of the season in a great atmosphere.
Comment
The Spartans entered the game and got the first opportunity to open the score after two minutes of the game, when the visiting Stránský was sent off and thus offered us a power play. Unfortunately, she did not offer many chances and Zajíček caught all the shots in Litvínov’s goal area. Just a moment later, our David Tomášek was also expelled. Verva created several interesting chances, and with a bit of luck we held on weakened. but Andrej Kudrna from Litvín got away, and since he was then fouled at the end, a penalty shootout was ordered. However, Jakub Kovář did not allow himself to be bathed and caught the attack excellently.
The series of eliminations continued, but neither we nor Litvínov used our strengths. Right from the beginning, the match was emotional and a few minutes before the end of the first part, a small scuffle broke out, after which Míra Forman and Ralfs Freibergs were expelled. The freer ice surface suits the Spartans, they immediately got to several interesting combinations in the offensive zone. But the bunny quietly hid all the discs in the trap. Not even Erik Thorell can overcome him from the escape on the right wing.
In the final seconds, Kovář also had his hands and feet full of work, when the guests pushed us in the defensive zone, but he did not let go of the puck behind his back. And when we didn’t manage to convert even a quick two-on-one renumbering, we went to the cabin with no goals.
Even in the second period, we watched brisk and attractive hockey, and Litvínov’s players threatened with fast breaks. However, both Zygmunt and Šalda gradually broke their teeth on the convincingly catching Kovář. On the other side, Dominik Simon and Míra Forman meandered, but the Lithuanian defense intervened in time and did not allow any great danger.
Over time, the game calmed down a bit and we could mainly watch the fight for the middle zone. Jakub Kovář had to distinguish himself only in the final minutes of the middle part, when he eliminated Petr Straka’s lightning raid into the goal area with an acrobatic intervention. Otherwise, we didn’t get any more chances and the wait for the first goal of the match lasted even after forty minutes of play.
The Spartans flew into the third period and after a few seconds we had a huge chance. After great work in the attacking zone, David Tomášek got to the ball from the immediate vicinity of the goal area, but missed the goal by a few centimeters. Jindřich Abdul also got a goal opportunity on the other side, who found the rebounded puck in the ring and with a spin he fired it at our sanctuary. Jakub Kovář, however, did an excellent job again.
Interesting opportunities increased over time and the goal hung in the air. After returning from the penalty box, Jandus rushed at Zajíček himself, but missed him with a quick shot. On the other side, Stránský almost pushed into the empty goal, but the puck slipped off his blade. In the subsequent power play, the unguarded Roman Horák first appeared on the right circle, who missed the goal. A moment later, however, he stretched Adam Polasek from the blue, burned through everything in his path and opened the scoring account of the match.
The goal kicked us off and we were immediately chasing to confirm the lead. We managed to do that by just a few tens of seconds, when he fired after a mistake in the guest pass Daniel Pribyl and the disc fell all the way behind Zajiček. And another moment later, it was basically decided. David Vitouch he got space in front of the opponent’s goal, he handled it perfectly and thus celebrated his birthday today with a scored goal.
The rest of the match was already played out and the Spartans could rejoice in a hard-fought victory over visiting Litvínov and the first three points in the extra league tables.
Testimonials from coaches
Pavel Patera (HC Sparta Prague): “The first period was balanced and each team was afraid to make a mistake. In the second period we pulled the short end of the stick. The goalie and a special form to weaken us kept us in the game. In the third period it was about one goal and whoever scores it will be A lot at the top. Fortunately, we gave it and we finally started shooting. In the second period, we entered the offensive zone, didn’t shoot and kept inventing something. There was more shooting in the first half, then of course you have a better chance to score.”
Vladimír Růžička (HC Verva Litvínov): “We came with a clear tactic to defend well and play on quick counterattacks. I think we succeeded quite well. In the first period, Sparta may have had a bit more, but the second period was clearly under our direction and we had quite a few chances, but we didn’t even give the only goal. Then in the third period it was clear that whoever scores a goal is very close to victory. We held on for fifty minutes, then unfortunately we started making inexplicable mistakes. There were terrible mistakes in the defensive zone, the opponent punished it and that’s why we lost. “