Continental Cup: CSKA wins at home

"We want to go and play our chances in Germany, to demonstrate that the Bulgarian hockey can return to the level of a time and remain among the powers of the sport." With this ambitious words the president of CSKA Sofia Ivelin Todorov had presented the preliminary round of Continental Cup, played last weekend at Winter Sports Palace in Sofia, immediately clarifying the ambitions of the Bulgarian club, back to dominate domestic scene, thanks to the substantial investment, after the ten-years reign of Slavia Sofia whom has stolen the best players with rich (for Bulgarian standards) contract. Already last year in the preliminary round played in Belgrade CSKA was on the ice, after 25 years of absence, with big ambitions, frustrated by two unannounced defeats against Partizan and Vikiing Tallinn that had cost an unexpected deletion. This year's roster has been further strengthened - thanks a regulation allowing the teams signing an unlimited number of players only for Continental - with the additions of the Slovaks and Andrej Kristian Simo, Marek Mendel, Igor Batora and Viktor Stefanech. In the net, the monument Konstantin Mikhailov, who retired at age 50 (!!) was replaced by the Russian Sergei Klimentyev, coming from the Kristall Elektrostal. Opponents of the Bulgarians, CG Puigcerdà, vice-champions of Spain, representing the country after champion Bipolo Vitoria is dissolved due to financial problems, the Serbs Beostar, replacing champion Partizan Beograd by Serbian federation decision and the Turks of Izmir. On paper a balanced group, with Bulgarians and Spaniards as favorites. But before the tournament comes the announcement that Izmir will travel to Sofia without their imports, Slovak Denis Legersky and American brothers, with Turkish passport, Andy and Alec Kocoglu, even if on club's website it was announced and emphasized their presence as an added value to try an historic qualification. With a roster of only local players, the Izmir became the worst team of the competition, amassing a total of 59 goals, 20 from Beostar and Puigcerdà and 19 from CSKA. Thus the qualification has become a three teams affair, with the clash between CSKA and Puigcerdà in the first day, won 3-2 by the Bulgarians, who turned out to be the real final. Beostar, basically a sort of Serbian national U-20, strengthened by Ukrainian globetrotter Dmitri Gnitko and interesting Czech forward Kamil Kinkor, was at all the disappointment of the tournament, having lost, after the opening victory against Izmir, with both Puigcerdà (5-1) and CSKA (10-2). A partial justification for the Serbs the young age of the roster and the absence of the 22 years-old star Mico Dragutinovic, a Serbian/Canadian, hat last year dragged the Beostar to undermine powerful Partizan. Good campaign by Puigcerdà: the Catalans have missed out on qualifying with a roster that mixes veterans, like the captain of the Spanish national team Salva Barnola and Slovaks Ladislav Gabris and Miroslav Skovira, with young and promising player as Alejandro Pedraz, the big transfer in Spain during the summer, considered the best player in his country, but until now misspended in modest Majadahonda, because "the hockey is not everything in life," as he stated in an interview with eurohockey.com time ago.
CSKA then fly to Bremerhaven for the second round, scheduled for October 17 to 19, where he will face the hosts of Fischtown Pinguins, the Dutch Tilburg Trappers and the Belfast Giants

 

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