HC Košice - Dukla Trenčín 5:1 (2:0, 2:0, 1:1)

Goals and assistance: 3. Vrábeľ (Suja, Petráš), 13. Hričina (Nagy, Šedivý), 29. Kafka (Hovorka, Koyš), 35. Hričina (Nagy, Šedivý), 60. Hovorka (Koyš) – 50. Špankovič

Excluded players: 2:3 for (2) minutes, power plays: 2:0, defense plays: 0:0, referees: J. Konc, Goga – Smrek, Kacej, 6,087 visitors

HC Košice: Lundström (Habal) – Šedivý, Dudáš, Bača, Čížek, Pulli, Kessel, Koch, Matejka – Nagy, Boltun, Hričina – Koyš, Hovorka, Kafka – Šoltés, Pacan, Klíma – Petráš, Suja, Vrábeľ

Dukla Trenčín: Valent (Hiadlovský) – Kozák, Starosta, Frühauf, Cebák, Bohunický, Holenda, Themár, Kukuča – Sojčík, Pardavý, Hecl – Hudec, Bulík, Varga – Mikula, Dlouhý, Gašparovič – Jakubec, Kováčik, Špankovič

The match of the fall brought several good chances on both sides soon. Therefore, we did not have to wait for a goal, the first one came already in the third minute. Vrábeľ managed to score and had the first accurate hit of the season. Ten minutes later Košice used an advantage of the power play and Hričina increased to 2:0. Before the break the guests got their chance, however Kozák did not manage to overcome Lundström. The players hit the locker rooms at 2:0.

The pace in the beginning of the second period was much more quiet compared to the first part of the regular play time. Therefore, we had to wait for the first chance until the 24th minute when Hecl failed to beat Lundström between the three poles.  A sharp-shooter Kafka scored on the other side. Thereafter we watched several missed chances, beside others, those of Varga and Hudec. Less than six minutes before the end of the second period Hričina scored again and increased to 4:0.

Dukla Trenčín entered the third period with the obvious aim - give a hard time to the opponent and get back to the game. But Košice defense worked without hesitation and did not allow Trenčín to get an opportunity. It applied until the 50th minute, when Špankovič scored. The score remained unchanged until the 60th minute, when Košice increased by Hovorka to 5:1.

Milan Jančuška, Košice Coach: “Our fantastic fans contributed to our today's victory. Many of them came today and pushed us during the whole match to gain three points. The next important thing was our disciplined performance as well as our excellent goal-keeper Lundström.”

Peter Oremus, Trenčín Coach: “Košice deserved the victory today. We were lacking aggressiveness and agility. In the final period we partly got back to the game performance from previous matches, however it is not enough against teams like Košice.”