We weren’t able to keep the points at home in the top-of-the-table clash

On Saturday evening, we played a crucial match in the final stages of the regular season, when we hosted our long-standing rivals, Lehel HC from Jászberény, at the Győr University Ice Sports Centre. The match was of great importance, as the result could have a direct impact on the race for first place in the regular season ahead of the play-offs.

First period

As might have been expected, the two teams went at each other at a fast pace, and the sizeable crowd were treated to a close, hard-fought battle in the first twenty minutes. The defence was solid on both sides, with few clear-cut chances created, whilst the goalkeepers put in confident performances.

However, we scored the only goal of the first period: five minutes before the break, whilst a man down, we launched a swift counter-attack, at the end of which Dániel Csölle (19) fired the puck into the visitors’ net from a distance with great power. There were no further goals, so we went into the break with a one-goal lead.

Second period

The pace didn’t let up in the second half either, but midway through the half the visitors were the first to find the net: at the end of a counter-attack, Trozsák (11) equalised. A few minutes later, unfortunately, we made two defensive errors in the space of half a minute, which Lehel exploited ruthlessly: first Sepik (27), then Károly (4) found the net.

After conceding those goals, we regrouped, saw out a two-man disadvantage, and created several promising chances, but no further goals were scored, so we went into the final period trailing by two goals.

Third period

Unfortunately, the final period didn’t go to plan. In the 47th minute, Sepik pounced on a loose puck, and a minute later Karda (21) scored, extending the visitors’ lead to four goals. From that point on, there was little chance of catching up against the Jászberény side, who displayed well-organised defence, and to make matters worse, just a few seconds before the end of the match, Kovács (20) scored the visitors’ sixth goal whilst on the power play.

Overview

It’s a shame about the last two periods, as we lost a crucial top-of-the-table clash, but at the same time the competition remains wide open and our fate is in our own hands, and we’ll do everything we can in the remaining fixtures to achieve our goals in the final stretch of the regular season. We’d like to thank the fans for their constant, fantastic support, which created an atmosphere in the stands worthy of such a big match.

UNI GYŐR ETO HC v Lehel HC: 1–6

Goalscorers: UNI GYŐR ETO HC: Dániel Csölle (19)

Lehel HC: Trozsák (11), Sepik (27) 2, Károly (4), Karda (21), Kovács (20)

However, attention is already turning to next week, as between 5 and 7 February we will be hosting the EUHL Cup tournament at the Győr University Ice Sports Centre. During the three-day event, alongside the hosts UNI GYŐR ETO HC, Polish side Opole United, Transylvanian side Sapientia U23 and Lehel HC will also take to the ice. Admission to the matches is free, so fans in Győr can look forward to some exciting international clashes.