HC Sparta Praha » Architects of the win: We did not perform well
7/10/2022 Daniel Ryl
No exaggerated celebrations were heard. The main architects of the victory on the ice of České Budějovice knew that Motor was the better team and the Spartans owe the victory to Jakub Kovář in particular. “The engine performed well, we did not perform as well as we imagined,” captain Michal Řepík realizes.
České Budějovice were the better and more active shooting team for most of the match, which goalkeeper Jakub Kovář felt in particular. “I was quite warm today. In the third period, I stuffed myself with magnesium because I was afraid that cramps would come,” he admitted after the match. Tireless and happy as the team’s performance was no match for any of the Spartans.
“The engine played well, while we did not perform as well as we imagined. We are happy that we reached the winning end of the match, in which we did not play according to expectations,” said Michal Řepík, the author of the winning goal from overtime.
“I drove into Dzierkals, but the referees didn’t whistle, so apparently it wasn’t a fault. Then he got the puck and sent it to me in the attack. The puck was jumping at me, so I tried to calm him down and shoot up, which fortunately I succeeded.” the experienced striker breathed a sigh of relief. However, his four-minute penalty in the second half contributed to the home side’s equaliser.
“We played a lot of time in our defensive zone. We were often weakened, so even if I didn’t get fifty shots, it was challenging,” admitted the Spartan goalkeeper. However, he didn’t talk about the best performance in this one: “I think it was one of our worst so far. So it had to be one of my most interesting.”
The Spartans admitted that the win was rather hard fought. “The engine played excellently, the boys must know that they don’t have three bodies,” realizes Kovář, who was the first time Cech returned to him as an opponent.
“It’s a strange feeling. I’ve been away for over nine years, a long time has passed, but suddenly I saw a familiar face and it was hard to stay focused. But only good memories popped up,” concluded the Spartan hero of the match.