HC Sparta Prague » SPA – MHK 2:1 – Victory celebration of Blood donors!
25, Friday 2 December 2022
HC Sparta Prague – Mountfield HK
SPA – MHK
HC Sparta Prague: Kovář – Kempný, Polášek, Krejčík, Moravčík, Němeček, Jandus, Mikliš – Forman, Sobotka, Řepík – E. Thorell, Horák, Tomášek – Buchtele, Vitouch, Dvořáček – Konečný, G. Thorell, Safin.
Mountfield HK: Kiviaho – Jank, McCormack, Kalina, Blain, Rosandić, F. Pavlík, Marcel – Cingel, Lalancette, Lev – R. Pavlík, Zachar, Okuliar – Pajer, Klíma, Jergl – Pilař, Štohanzl, Doležal.
Goals and saves: 22. Krejčík (Horák), 28. Repík (Sobotka) – 24. Okuliar.
Referee: Kika, Pilný – Hynek, Svoboda.
Exclusion: 6:5.
Use: 1:0. In weakening: 0:0.
Spectators: 10129.
Shots on goal: 20:19.
Course of the match: 1:0, 1:1, 2:1.
Best players of the match: Jakub Krejčík – Oliver Okuliar.
As part of the climax of Spartan blood, we welcomed Mountfield from Hradec Krád to our ice in black alternative jerseys. Despite a large number of unconverted chances, the Spartans won in an attractive match, when captain Michal Řepík decided on three points in the second period with a smart finish from an angle. We managed to extend our winning streak to five games and get close to the top of the table again.
Hradec started more actively and settled in the attacking zone, Sparta’s defense resisted without major problems. In the fourth minute, Jan Buchtele appeared in the first big chance, who shot from the circle, but Kiviaho in Hradec’s goal was attentive. Not long after, Kevin Klíma was shot by Kovář’s cage from close range. Before the commercial break, Pavlík went to the penalty bench. In the double power play, the Spartans prepared several opportunities, but the goalkeeper from Hradec Králové was attentive.
After a defensive weakening, Hradec threatened, but Rosandič’s hard blow was covered by Kovář, the three-on-one situation was solved by Polášek. On the next occasion, after the good work of Dvořáček, Forman found himself, but Kiviah did not beat him. In the end, both teams took turns staying in the offensive zone, but did not prepare a better chance. At the end of the first period, Hradec Okuliar was sent off, the Spartans did not use the eleventh-minute power play and carried the rest of the power play into the second half.
The transferred power play brought the first goal of the match. After a minute and ten seconds of the second half, the O2 arena erupted with enthusiasm for the first time, Horák’s cross pass was used by a shot from the right circle Jakub Krejcik. After less than four minutes, it was equalized, Pavlík’s screen was used Oliver Eyeglasses and equalized. It was even worse for Sparta afterwards, Kempný went to serve a two-minute penalty for irritation. The weakened Spartans stood up without major problems and the score remained unchanged.
Shortly before the half of the match, most of the hands in the hall went up again, Michal Repík he surprised the goalkeeper from Hradec Králové with an inconspicuous shot from the corner and restored Sparta’s lead. The opponent quickly knocked back from the conceded goal and put pressure on the Spartan defense, which resisted. After a light skirmish, Kempný and Okuliar went to the penalty spot, and the foursome continued.
With a non-standard number of players, the Spartans prepared several promising chances, but they failed to score a goal. Immediately after the second commercial break, the middle part headed for the ceiling to the referee’s right, Dvořáček received a four-minute penalty for a high stick. The Spartans handled the weakening with flying colors and went to the booth with a one-goal lead.
The first big chance of the third part was prepared by Lev, he did not mature against Kovař. Subsequently, Tomášek made a mistake in the offensive zone, Sparta managed the weakening again without mistakes, on the contrary, Forman did not take advantage of a great chance in the numerical disadvantage. Moments after the end of the Hradec power play, captain Řepík wandered to the bench of shame. Even this advantage, less than a minute multiplied by the missing hockey stick in the hands of Forman, was not used by the guests. Before the third half, Buchtele did not convert a good chance from the edge of the goal area.
The friendly packed auditorium continues to watch hockey at a high pace. However, the chances of both teams ended up on careful goals or inaccuracies. After Tomášek’s effort, a foul broke out on the edge of the visitors’ goal area, which resulted in penalties for the home striker and defender Janko, and the score was four. In this game situation, the score did not change. In the end, Forman and the finishing Řepík could have added insurance in the break, but Kiviaho pulled off a fantastic save with the catcher. The Hradec team’s final push was thwarted by an offensive foul by Lev. Sparta took care of the end of the match and claimed their fifth victory in a row.