Unparalleled excitement, tremendous mental strength and victory in the first leg of the semi-final!

We managed to reach the last four in two leagues, and on Friday evening the first match of the Andersen League semi-finals got underway: we hosted last year’s final opponents, Lehel HC from Jászberény, at the Győr Ice Sports Centre.

We knew we were in for a tough match; Lehel have been in excellent form again this season, whilst our team has been forced to do without several key players due to injury in recent weeks (Bence Makovics, Márk Nagy, Norbert Lévai, Ádám Kiss).

The teams took to the ice with great enthusiasm; after a back-and-forth start in the opening minutes, it was clear that Győr were gaining the upper hand, which we were fortunately able to convert into a goal in the seventh minute: Yulian Tovkach led a beautiful solo attack from our own third. 1–0

Over the next 10 minutes, we were unable to convert our nearly twice as many shots on goal into further goals, whilst Popov virtually replicated our previous goal and, following a fine solo run, the visitors managed to equalise. 1–1

Barely half a minute later, Győr were quick to respond: Benedek Madácsi was perfectly positioned to meet a pass played in front of goal. 2–1

The fast pace continued into the second period, and once again we had to wait nearly 7 minutes for the first goal – scored by Győr: following a fine counter-attack, Dániel Csölle played a selfless pass to Benedek Madácsi, who beat Monostori. 3–1

It almost looked as though we’d go into the second interval with a two-goal lead, but a ‘lull’ lasting less than a minute was enough for the Jászberény side to capitalise on with their usual flair: first, following a turnover, Pinczés to score, then half a minute later they were able to carry the puck in a 3-on-1 situation, with Nyika this time finishing the move. 3–3

Following a more evenly matched second period, Győr’s dominance re-emerged in the final period; in the 45th minute, Sebestyén Csata played a brilliant pass to Bendegúz Jábor, who made no mistake, putting us back in the lead! 4–3

However, there was no time to relax in this match; halfway through the period, the visitors successfully capitalised on a defensive error and Strenk arrived at just the right moment to pick up a rebound. 4–4

A few minutes later, there was another dangerous attack from Jászberény, but the goalpost was on our side this time. Head coach Szilárd Rusznyák requested a video review, but even after a lengthy analysis, the officials could not see that the puck had crossed the line, so the score remained level.

Five minutes before the final whistle, we managed to convert our man-up situation into a goal; Martin Sipák was very well positioned in front of the goal. 5–4

We really wanted to hold on to that lead, but two minutes later we found ourselves a man down, and a puck that rebounded off the boards went straight to Pinczés; Róth couldn’t get there in time. 5–5

After the break came extra time, played under ‘golden goal’ rules, with three outfield players on each side. This was the first time we’d played in this formation this season, yet we immediately won possession and, 30 seconds later, Sebestyén Csata put the puck in the net. Lehel, however, requested a video review once again and, following an even longer analysis than the first time, the goal was disallowed on the grounds of goaltender interference, coming as a complete shock to spectators and players alike. After such an emotional rollercoaster, it would have been perfectly understandable if the lads had suffered a mental block, but they were once again able to show why we love this team so much: shortly after the restart, Lehel managed to win the puck, but they posed no threat to Róth’s goal; on the counter-attack, **Bendegúz Jábor produced a brilliant solo run and beat Monostori, thereby securing victory beyond any doubt!

It was a fast-paced match, full of exceptional thrills and ending in victory.

In this best-of-three series, we’ve taken the first step towards reaching the final, but we’ve still got a very tough task ahead of us; our next match is on Friday the 21st in Jászberény. **

Come on, UNI GYŐR ETO!

UNI GYŐR ETO HC vs Lehel HC: 6 – 5 (HU) (AL104) Goalscorers: **#3 Yulian Tovkach, #18 Benedek Madácsi (3), #17 Bendegúz Jábor (2), #7 Martin Sipák (UNI GYŐR ETO) #97 Popov, #11 Pinczés (2), #88 Nyika, #9 Strenk (Lehel)

We’ve put together a selection of the best photos from the match in our gallery:

Photo: Dr Krisztina Németh-Csigai