Nove Zamky and Brasov advance to the Finals

08 Mar 2014 | Szabolcs Závodszky

The fourth game in the two semi final series could not have been more opposite of each other. In one the favored team closed out the series in a blowout where in the other one the top seed was up set in a tight game.

Brasov-DAB 2-1

DAB.Docler who had finished at the top of the table in commanding fashion at the end of the regular season struggled at times during the series and it was now different in this game either.

Needing a win to bring the series back to Dunaújváros for game five DAB opened up the scoring when Balázs Somogy took a pass from Gellért Hruby and put it past Patrik Polc to make it 1-0 6:49 into the game. With Tamás Gröschl getting two minutes for slashing Brasov took advantage of the power pay with Juha Hietamäki evening the game at one all.

“Kevin Wehrs got the puck to the blueline and gave me slapshot pass between hash marks and I just tipped it in,” said Hietamäki.

The score remained the same for the rest of the period, 2:12 into the second period Róbert Péter put the home team up 2-1 with Zsolt Molnár getting the assist. The score remained 2-1 in favor of Brasov through the rest of the second and deep into the third period.

With under a minute to go in the game DAB coach Stephan Lundh pulled goalie Peter Sevela for the extra attacker, but in the end this was not enough as Brasov held on for the win and the upset.

Miskolc-Nové Zámky 1-7

In the other Game 4 Miskolc was playing without team captain Tyler Metcalfe who had to miss the game because of a shoulder injury. Miskolc was also looking to extend the series to a fifth and final game with Dávid Duschek back in the cage after coach Bob Dever had decided to go with Dávid Gyenes in games two and three.

Peter Polcik of Nové Zámky scored the lone goal of the first period when he put a rebound off of a long shot past the Gyenes. The score remained 1-0 for the rest of the period and through the first half of the second period when Erik Caladi made it 2-0. At 36:04 with Nové Zámky on the power play Jakub Hrudik made it 3-0, with Michael Siska quickly opening it up to a four goal lead. At this point Dever felt that it was time to switch goalies with Gyenes coming in for Duschek.

The third period was all Nové Zámky as an Ondrej Stefanka and Lukas Ruzicka goal made it 6-0. With Miskolc on the power play for the first time in the game Jordan Knox ended Jan Chovan’s bid for a shutout. For good measure Martin Baron scored a power play goal to set the final score at 7-1.

Miskolc team captain Metcalfe said “Clearly things didn’t end how anyone wanted them too. It was unfortunate that the last game couldn’t have been a more spirited effort. Personally i would’ve liked to have played in our last game whether it was in the finals or semi finals.”

MOL League semi finals, Game 4
Brasov-DAB 2-1 (Brasov won series 3-1)
Miskolc-Nové Zámky 1-7 (Nové Zámky won series 3-1)