After the 9:0 triumph over Norway, the Slovaks will play a duel for the Christmas Kaufland Cup trophy with Latvia on Friday from 18:00. Our broadcast will start with the studio from 5:30 p.m., Ladislav Fabo will welcome Dominik Graňák and Rastislav Konečný, the duel will be commented by Pavol Pindják and Rastislav Konečný.
Slovakian hockey players defended last year’s championship at their home Christmas Kaufland Cup. In Friday’s match, they defeated Latvians 3:0. Captain Marek Hrivík secured the victory with two goals and Viliam Čacho scored once. Goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj scored a clean sheet and imitated Stanislav Škorvánek, who did not concede against the Norwegians (9:0).
The tournament in Bratislava served coach Craig Ramsay’s team as preparation for the WC, which will take place in the Czech Republic from May 10 to 26. Latvians finished in second place in the table, defeating the Nordic opponent 5:0 in the mutual meeting.
The Slovaks previously appeared at the German Cup in November, where they took second place with a record of two wins and one loss.
Christmas Kaufland Cup 2023:
SLOVAKIA – Latvia 3:0 (2:0, 0:0, 1:0)
Goals: 7. Čacho, 20. Hrivík (Lantoši, Okuliar), 58. Hrivík (Kašlík, Bačik). Judges: Stano, J. Konc Jr. – Durmis, D. Conc Jr., expulsion: 3:7 for 2 min, power plays: 0:0, weakness: 0:0, 8567 spectators.
Slovakia: Hlavaj – Mudrák, Gajdoš, Beňo, Golian, Bodák, Bačik, Stacha – Lantoši, Hrivík, Okuliar – Cehlárik, Cingel, Zuzin – Kudrna, Tamáši, Kašlík – Lamper, Čacho, Mucha
Latvian: Vitols – Mamcic, Freiberg, Ozols, Bindulis, Anjans, Tumanovs, Alksnis, Goršanovs – Daugavinš, Batna, Balcers – Tralmaks, Egle, Ri. Bukarts – Krastenbergs, Berzins, Anderson – Lapinskis, Rokis, Ravinskis
The Slovaks had the opening and created several chances in the first few minutes, but failed in the end. The first goal of the match was scored by Čacho in the 7th minute, who won the puck after a huge mistake by the Latvian defense and beat Vitols in a separate escape. Gradually, the visitors also got to several ends, but Hlavaj covered up their attempts. Batna could have equalized in the power play, but he only hit the crossbar. Before the end of the first half, Okuliar won the puck, passed it to Lantošima and he found the free captain Hrivík on the other side, who made it 2:0.
The Latvians threatened in the first minute of the second half with a shot by Bukarts, and his shot again hit the crossbar. In the remaining time of the middle period, the game was even, but both teams created several chances. Hrivík went to the goal himself, and then Mucha and Lamper, but they did not overcome the goalkeeper Vitols. On the other side, he could cut Tralmaks, but he ended up only in the concretes of Hlavaja.
At the beginning of the third part, the Slovaks did not take advantage of the numerical advantage of two players. Bukarts was close to a reduction in the 47th minute, but Hlavaj kept a clean sheet and distinguished himself eight minutes later during Bukarts’ big chance in a weakened position. The home team decided on the triumph less than two minutes before the end, when Hrivík scored the second goal of the match.
final table of the tournament:
1. SLOVAKIA 2 2 0 0 0 12:0 6
2. Latvia 2 1 0 0 1 5:3 3
3. Norway 2 0 0 0 2 0:14 0
2023-12-15 17:15:00
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