Welcome. Game starts at 17:30.

HC Košice

Slovak team is going to say winning "goodbye" to Champions Hockey League for this season – that´s the biggest imperative for Kosice in this game. Slovak team plays in quite good performance, won three matches in row and it´s a king of Slovak league – Kosice is at first place with 25 points there, second Zvolen earned 19 points. The first season in Champions Hockey League brought many new experiences and learning points for Slovak team. It was an equal partner in all matches, but has earned just 4 points yet. Kosice was broking down by individual mistakes of players and less experiences from big matches. However, there are also big positives – Slovak team played several great games and has shown, that Slovak hockey has its place in modern European hockey. What is interesting, Kosice are on the fourth place in ranking of attendance with average attendance 5124 visitors! Hockeytown from east of Slovakia wants to bring a lot of fun and happiness for great fans in last match of CHL in this year!

Kölner Haie

Sharks from Koln want to wake from this season´s bad dream and the match in Kosice is a great opportunity for it – that´s the match imperative for German team. Kolner was really looking forward to this season – it was after two silver medals in home league and in front of challenge in Champions Hockey League. We see two Kolners this year – one in CHL, which plays good matches and earned several points, and second Kolner, which is bothering in home league. Kolner is at 13th place in ranking (from 14 teams!) and has won just two matches yet! However, management still believes to well-known coach Uwe Krupp, who was also a coach of German national team for many years. We can find some well-known names in a roster – experienced Swedish defender Daniel Tjärnqvist, Swedish center Andreas Falk and talented German forward Philip Gogulla. Sharks from Koln wants to get back to a great performance from last years – and a game in Kosice can be a great opportunity for this!

Current performance

Kosice are playing great in Slovak league – it is at 1st place with 25 points from 10 matches. It also won three matches in row, last one with Trencin 1-0. The play of defense is a great part of Kosice´ s hockey – it got just 14 goals.

Kolner is surviving completely opposite side of hockey – it lost four matches in row, last one in Augsburg 2-5. Kolner is at 13th place in ranking with 7 points and very close to unpleasant fight for surviving into the league. There is still time to improve it and go back to higher places.

Situation in a group

There is going to be a direct fight for first place between Karpat and Liberec. After yesterday´ s matches, Kolner doesn´t have any chance to pass into play-off. If Kosice won this match, it can finish at third place in a group.

Standings :

1. Karpat Oulu 10 points
2. Bili Tygri Liberec 9 points
3. Kolner Haie 7 points
4. HC Kosice 4 points

Last match of Champions Hockey League in Slovak Hockeytown with bothered German Kolner Haie – that´s the best invitation for match of group A, which will take place on Wednesday at 17-30 in Kosice. The home team wants to revenge for lost from first match in Kolner, when German team won 2-1 in tight match. None of these two teams has chance to pass for play-offs. It is still an important match for Kolner, it needs to improve the team performance – it lost four matches in row and are in the bottom of home league ranking. Great fans in Kosice are looking for nice last match in CHL in this season with winning of Kosice – and home team is going to make everything for three points, thanks to which can finish at 3rd place in group ranking. Tomas Schugerl is looking forward to you on Wednesday from 17-30 with on-line report of this interesting match!

Starting lineups:

HC Košice: Melichercik (Hylak) – Janosik, Cebak, Bartanus, Hrnka, Lapsansky – Strbak (C), Cernak, Jencik, Bartos, Spilar (A) – Macejko, Philipp (A), Cesik, Chovan, Sojcik – Drgon, Seda, Stupka, Kolena, Hindos

Kölner Haie: Stefaniszin (Aus den Birken) – Luedemann, Ankert, Johnson, Minard, Rankin – Krupp, Riefers, Muller, Falk, Gogulla (A) – Zerressen, Tjernqvist (A), Stephens, Tripp (C), Weiss – Pfohl, Schmolz

Referees: Oskirko (RUS), Baluska (SVK) – Sefcik (SVK), Vyleta (SVK).

Good evening from Steel Arena in Kosice! We are going to watch last match of group A between HC Kosice and Kolner Haie. Actually, not many people come to Steel Arena already, maybe 2000 visitors are here yet. We are going to see direct fight for third place in group – if home team win, it is going to take the third place. I wish you a nice sport´s experience!

We saw the first interesting play action by home team, defender Janosik passed into the offense zone and had free space between circles, but didn´t manage to shot on goal.

Kosice is still more active, the game is taking place mostly in defense zone of Kolner. Guests are under pressure!

Home team won a face-off in attacking zone, then Spilar took a puck and shot from right circle, Stefaniszin is careful and made another great save.

Kolner is in attack for the first time, but not so successful. Rankin sent a shot from right side of attacking zone, Melichercik didn´t need to save.

Guests tried to answer to early goal of Kosice. Muller passed with puck into the offense zone, but hadn´t any support from team-mates, so he lost it.

Well, that was a big surprise for Kosice. It was better and scored an early goal, but Kolner equalise from first shot. We will see an interesting match tonight!

Kolner is in good performance after the goal now, Krupp sent a shot from the blue line, Melichercik saved by right pad.

Kosice moved into the attacking zone, locked guests there. Seda sent a shot from blue line, Stefaniszin saw it well and saved by right pad!

Guests are defending well. However, Spilar tried to skate between circles and shot, but he was defended by two players and hadn´t enough space.

Kolner survived the first power-play, it is now playing in full strenght.

After the half of the first period, we can say, that we are watching really interesting game! Kolner is in good performance now, the equaliser helped it. Also Kosice are hungry for the second goal. Quite interesting hockey in Steel Arena!

Nice fast combination from guests, Luedemann was in the end of it, when he sent a shot from blue-line, Melichercik saved by his trapper.

Home team is now locked in its defense zone. Gogulla skated through half of the defense zone of Kosice and tried to shot from blue-line, there was a big traffic in front of Melichercik, he saved by left pad!

Home team stayed in attacking zone, Jencik got a great pass to left side and he shot directly, missed a net with few centimetres!

It was difficult, but Kolner survived also the second power-play of Kosice. It is now playing in full strenght.

Teams are changing the activity between themselves – Kolner action was stopped with inaccurate pass, action of Kosice with offside.

Oh, Kolner is looking nervous after the Kosice´s goal! Pfohl attacked Sojcik really hard, there was a small argue between them, for now it is without a penalty.

Muller from Kolner is quite active tonight. He took a puck into the offense zone and made a free space between circles, tried a wrist-shot, Melichercik saved with blocker!

Kolner is into the attacking zone, but without dangerous shots yet. Krupp tried the one from the blue-line, it was blocked by defender.

Kosice shot the puck through all lines, it is defending really well in these minutes. Kolner probably won´t manage to equalise in this period.

Home team survived the power-play of Kolner, it is now playing in full strenght.

Nice shot by Chovan! He skated into the offense zone and shot from blue line, puck dropped in front of Stefaniszin, he had problems, but in the end saved by stick!

Penalties of both teams already finished, teams are playing in full strenght now. Let´s go to see, what brings this interesting match in next minutes!

Bartos had a space at the right circle, sent a huge snap-shot, Stefaniszin saved by right pad!

Home team is in power-play, but game is taking place in defense zone of Kosice. Actions of home team are finising with inaccurate passes.

What Kosice did in defense zone?! Two defenders lost the puck and let it to Muller, who was alone between circles, Melichercik blocked his shot, which was directed to left upper corner!

Meanwhile, guests are playing in full strenght, survived the power-play of home team.

We see quite rush hockey in these minutes! Bartos performed nice fast breakaway and tried to finish with wrist shot from right circle, Stefaniszin saved by right pad!

Kosice won the face-off and settled into the attacking zone, locked Koln there! Strbak made two great snap-shots from the blue-line, Stefaniszin saved both of them with great saves.

We are behind the half of this match and we are watching a great hockey performance. In this situation, Kosice will take a third place in group A! Koln needs to get almost one point from this game, so there´s a time for guests to get it!

Not looking like power-play of guests yet. Kosice made nice breakaway, Lapsansky passed the puck to the left side on Bartanus, he tried a shot, Stefaniszin saved.

Big pressure in the defense zone of Kosice! There was several shots, from Krupp and Riefers also, all of them were blocked and Melichercik didn´t need to save. Great job from Kosice´ s defenders!

Kosice survived difficult moments in Koln´s power-play, now are playing in full strenght!

Koln stays in activity, guests want to equalise for third time. Weiss skated with puck into the attacking zone and shot from right circle, Melichercik saw the shot and blocked it!

Home team is defending great yet. Kosice are defending the blue-line, where finish all actions of Koln.

Bartos was hooked in defense zone of Kosice, but referee didn´t see it. Afterwards, there was a chance for guests, but shot by Krupp was blocked!

The game is now taking place in defense zone of Kosice. Koln knows, that this is a critical situation for German team. Kosice´ s defense working well and is stopping all attacks of Koln for now.

Guests are more active now, but without dangerous shot for now. There was a danger on the other side, where Jencik could pass to a breakaway, but he didn´t hit the puck well.

Quite balanced play in the start of third period, both teams are carefully defending the neutral zone. We don´t see interesting chances for now.

Also Koln is showing, that it want to do something with this match. After the long shot by Krupp, guests took the face-off in attacking zone.

Koln tried to surprise Kosice in the breakaway, Schmolz came with the puck to the offense zone and pass to Weiss on the opposite side, shot by Weiss was inaccurate.

Great pressure from Kosice! It locked the Koln in its defense zone and sent several dangerous shots to Stefaniszin! Strbak shot from the blue line for three times, Janosik was blocking the view in front of Stefaniszin, goalkeeper of Koln saved all shots.

Koln survived difficult time in Kosice´s power-play, guests are playing in full strenght now.

Kosice managed to shot the puck through all lines, it took several seconds of time in the Koln´s power-play.

Great play of Kosice´ s defenders, they are blocking all attempts of guest for passing into the offense zone. Just 30 seconds of power-play are remaining, Koln without a shot against Melichercik.

Home team survived the power-play of Koln, it is now playing in full strenght and is closer to the winning and to third place in group A!

Kosice are still thinking about the offense also, it settled down in the attacking zone and Philipp tried to shot from the blue-line, Stefaniszin saved by right pad.

Great action by Hindos! Kosice´s attacker was in attacking zone against three opponents, tried to pass in front of the net and he was almost successful! Hindos was blocked by defender in last moment, so he didn´t manage to shot!

Hindos finished his good shift, right after the face-off skated into the offense zone and sent a wrist-shot from the left circle, Stefaniszin saved with trapper.

Kosice are still more active, Koln looked little bit down...Lapsansky skated into the attacking zone and shot from the right circle, shot was blocked by defender.

Good defense and clever game from home team. Koln is trying to invent something in attack, but Kosice´s players are defending in neutral zone and stopping all attacks there.

Koln won the face-off into the attacking zone, Falk came with puck between circles and sent a wrist-shot to the right upper corner, Melichercik in a great save with trapper!

8 minutes and 19 seconds are remaining for Koln to score two goals. If Koln won´t score two goals, it finish at last place in group A, Kosice will be third.

That wasn´t a good start of power-play for Koln. Guests won the face-off, but didn´t sent any shot against Melichercik. Then, Kosice got the puck and shot it through all lines.

Well, the fight for third place in group A will continue in last minutes. Koln feels the chance after the contact goal, its action was now stopped by offside.

Kosice needs to get time, which is now remaining to the end of third period. Home team is successful in this, playing really carefully without any mistakes.

Game is taking place mostly in neutral zone, but this is fine for Kosice, it needs to defend a tight lead. 30 seconds of power-play are remaining now.

Koln is in full strenght, German team can think about equaliser now! There are more than 2 minutes remaining to the end of the match.

Two minutes remaining to the end of third period! Game is now taking place mostly in neutral zone, Koln can not make a big pressure against the home team.

Breakaway from Kosice, three players passed to the attacking zone, Bartanus shot from right circle, but missed the net!

Muller took the puck into the offense zone, tried to pass teammate on the left side, but his pass was inaccurate. No shot against Melichercik!