VIDEO Slovan returned from Košice without a lead: Responses of players and coaches after the fourth match – Športky.sk

Pictured bench Košice after scoring the first goal during the fourth semi-final match of Kaufland play off HC Košice extra-league tip – HC Slovan Bratislava Source: TASR / František Iván KOŠICE – HC Košice hockey players did not allow a critical state of the series and Slavs 2: 2. Unlike the double match in Bratislava, they allowed the opponent only two goals and before the fifth duel they got a psychological advantage. “So far, I am proud of this team. We are all one hundred percent away,” said HC Košice captain Michal Chovan. His team defeated Slovan on Monday and Tuesday with a result of 3: 1 and after losing 2: 5 and 2: 6 on the Bratislava ice, he showed that he can really think about defeating the favorite. He is still “white”, who gained 22 points more in the basic part, but the people of Košice erased the “paper” differences in the playoffs. In the semifinal match number four, they won the victory to their side with a goal in the 60th minute, when the Russian striker Denis Paršin used a power play. Chovan also took part in his goal, Brian Ihnačák closed for 3: 1 shortly after that. “We worked hard throughout the match and this is a reward. The conclusion came to us. Every single one can look in the mirror that he put the maximum into it. At some point we defended ourselves, but we played it easily. We blocked the shots, the great ´Riči´ (Dominik Riečický, note) kept us in goal, “said Chovan, who was excited about the spectators after Tuesday’s match. More than 7,700 of them came to the Steel Arena on Monday, and over 8,000 on Tuesday for the first time this season. who scores or who records Everyone plays for the team and if we go on like this we can handle it I want to thank the spectators who were our seventh player and maybe it helped us in the end They created a great atmosphere When people are back in the stands, so it’s played completely differently, “Chovan noted. The goalkeeper Dominik Riečický had a significant share in the Košice equalization of the series from 0: 2 to 2: 2. After the matches in Bratislava, he replaced Andrej Košarišťan and in the home double match he thwarted 55 of the 57 shooting attempts of the Slavs. He achieved a 96.49-percent success rate and at 1: 0 he thwarted the penalty shootout of Marcel Haščák in the second match, who overcame him the day before after a long escape. “I’m glad that I helped the team in this way as well,” he briefly evaluated his performance, but he was all the happier with the team’s result: “In the first two thirds it was cautious, in the third I was glad that we used a power play at the end and thanks to that they equalized to 2: 2 in the series. The whole team performed very well in two matches in Košice, “said Riečický, who was aware that in it will be difficult again on Friday’s match at Slovane. Photo gallery (7) Source: TASR – František Iván “No match is easy in the playoffs. We also played the first two matches on the Bratislava ice quite well, but we made unnecessary mistakes and the Slavs took advantage of it. Then we played at home almost without mistakes. We need to continue to do that in order to succeed, “said Riečický. The first third was probably the worst in the whole season. After two losses in Košice, there is a 2: 2 draw from their 2-0 lead over matches. “We have to put our heads up and move on,” said coach Andrej Podkonický. His charges entered the fourth match of the series as well as the previous three – collected goals. While in both home matches they managed to react to the opening goals of Košice and turned to 5: 2, resp. 6: 2, matches on the Košice ice had a different course. In the second of them, the home team took the lead after only 87 seconds and Patrik Rogoň’s quick goal gave them confidence. The coach of the guests was glad that the people of Košice did not follow him in the introductory period. “The first period was probably the worst of the whole season. After it we were glad that it was not after the match, because we could collect another 3-4 goals and that would be after the match. Then we said some things and we started to play easier. “Our best third of the match was the third, in which we created several chances and we believed that we would score 1: 1. Then hockey was played up and down,” said Podkonický. The Slavs equalized in the third period, and when it seemed that the match would reach extra time, the Košice power play came. Daniela Gachulinca’s foul was penalized by Denis Paršin (2: 1) and Brian Ihnačák scored during the subsequent Slovan game without a goalkeeper. “It was a great match again. It was decided by the situation when we made a foul. In front of him we had a clean puck on the hockey stick, which we made a forbidden release. 2, we are going home and now we have to show how strong the team we have. Košice also has a strong team folded to play for the title, “Podkonický pointed out. The Slavs traveled to Košice with an ideal lead of 2: 0 and in the east of the republic they could seal the progress to the finals or at least get significantly closer to it. None of this happened. “We have to push harder for the goal to make it happen. It’s been better since the second period, but we have to work harder for dirty goals and maybe it will come. It’s definitely better when the team wins than when they have to catch up. In the first period “We didn’t play well overall until it improved later. That was the main problem,” said defender Daniel Gachulinec. Photo gallery for article Number of photos: 7 Author: © VIDEO list: YouTube / Tipos Extraliga; TASR / František Iván Source: TASR