There is no place to retreat, no chance to repair. The players squeeze out their last strength. One team will go to the locker room with their heads hanging and pain in their souls, on the contrary, the other will be intoxicated in exuberant ecstasy.
The hockey champion will be decided by magical match number 7. The last final between Nitra and Slovan will be played on Thursday near Zobor.
Most of the ten thousand fans in the packed auditorium of Zimné stadion Ondrej were ready for championship celebrations, and Slovan’s Canadian coach Brad Tapper could receive the most beautiful birthday present.
However, the Nitra supporters went home in a good mood. The guests won the sixth match of the final in Bratislava 5:2 and leveled the series at 3:3.
Marcinko: Losing hurts
“Damn!” an angry shout was heard from the crowd of local hockey players as they left for the cabins.
Slovan wasted another championship match point.
Nitra can be the first team in the history of the highest Slovak competition to turn from 1:3 to 4:3 in the final. Slavists can still round the number of Slovak titles to 10.
“We lost and that hurts the most. We need to be better and more efficient. We have twenty shots for free when we only score one goal.
Even the smallest detail will be decisive in the seventh game. I believe that we will be ready,” Tomáš Marcinko said after the match.
Slovan started without the suspended Samuel Takáč, but Martin Bakoš appeared for the first time in the series (with a protective cover on his face). The home team started well.
Slovan’s captain scored the first goal in a power play, but the visitors responded in the first period.
In the second act, the home team pressed, had good passages of play, and a few chances, but Nitra struck out of nowhere.
After Čederle’s action, Buček completed the job – 1:2. The guests gained a psychological advantage. From this moment on, Slovan was just catching up.
VIDEO: Editing of the match Slovan Bratislava – Nitra in the 6th final
“It broke in the second period. We had a lot of pressure, but we didn’t score a goal. We lost the lead 3:1, but we have to put it behind us and focus on the seventh game,” defender Tomáš Kráľovič assessed.
Buček was shaking like a chihuahua
Samuel Buček missed the fifth game. In the fourth fight, he undermined the opponent and additionally tied the stoppage for one match.
The people of Nitra found out a few hours before the match and had to quickly change their tactics.
“I won’t lie, at certain moments I was shaking in the stands like a chihuahua, but I believed in my teammates, I was with them in the cabin and gave them positive energy. I’m glad they managed it and it worked out for me today,” said the Nitrian striker.
“We have to go into the seventh game with humility, we don’t have to save ourselves anymore. Little things will decide.”
VIDEO: Andrej Kmeč
Nitra showed a high-quality defense. Goalkeeper Ferguson – although he allowed himself to be provoked several times – caught reliably, the players in front of him sacrificed.
“When we were little, we played outside for the seventh final match. I’m really looking forward to it,” said defender Marko Stacha.
Slovan’s assistant coach Tomáš Surový first apologized for the TV interview after the fifth game.
VIDEO: Tomas Surovy
“I couldn’t handle it emotionally, so neither I nor the club should present myself,” he regretted. “We didn’t manage the second period. We had power plays, but we couldn’t bounce back against Nitra with a goal,” he added.
Nitra’s coach Andrej Kmeč praised the players for their team performance. “Defensively, we were solid, we used every chance we got up front. The games with Slovan showed us that we don’t have to get into a goal race with them.
It was our teamwork, unbreakableness that made the decision. We are very grateful to be able to play match number 7.”
