BRASOV, Romania – KH Sanok's dominant two lines were instrumental in securing top spot in Group C and progress to the next round of the Continental Cup for the Polish champion.
A hard-fought final day 4-3 victory against host Corona Brasov saw Sanok end up as winner of the four-team tournament in Romania. Sanok's two top lines were involved in all of the team's twelve goals with former NHL player Mike Danton leading the scoring with 3+4 in three games.
Finishing level on points with Sanok, second-placed Brasov missed out on progress to the next round following the bonus spot opened up after Kompanion Kyiv's withdrawal from the third round Group E. Brasov's six points and +1 goal difference came short in the end against the second-placed team in Group B, Belfast Giants, also with half a dozen points amassed but with a superior goal difference of +5.
“I am proud of the team,” said Sanok head coach Miroslav Frycer. “Brasov needed only a point and is a good team with good fans, but our fighting spirit paid off in the end.”
While the Sanok players celebrated out on the ice thanking their vocal and plentiful travelling support, Brasov were left with their head bowed down ruing what could have been. With 6:09 remaining in the deciding game for top-spot, Jaroslav Obsut's game-tying 3-3 goal raised the roof inside Pationarul Olimpic. The joy was to be short-lived as 2:39 later a weary Brasov team succumbed to Danton's power-play goal which saw Sanok grind out the result required to win the group.
Brasov entered the final round of games with two wins while Sanok's sole win meant going for a regulation-time victory was needed for the team from south-eastern Poland that came out flying from the outset. They were 2-0 up after just 3:53. Sanok's Petr Sinagl was the instigator for the opening goal after thundering down the right his ensuing shot was saved by Brasov goalie Patrik Polc before the rebound was tapped home by Martin Vozdecky. Sanok capitalized soon again. Following a careless Yevgeni Pysarenko defensive zone pass Jordan Pietrus netted Sanok's second after fine work by linemates Jordan Knox and Danton.
“We started really well, but then after ten minutes we stopped skating. It was the same after 3-1,” said Sanok head coach Frycer.
Great kudos must also go to Brasov for wrestling themselves back into the game. Magor Petres pulled one back for the hosts ahead of the first intermission. The two-goal cushion was renewed once again as the hosts appeared to still be in the locker room when Sanok needed just 22 seconds in the middle frame to capitalize with Vozdecky netting his second. Brasov's energy was on the night personified by Petres, who grabbed his second of the evening mid-way through the final period to set up a nervous finale. Despite coming close and disappointed to end up on the losing side, Brasov head coach Jerry Andersson was gracious in their 4-3 defeat.
“Easy goals are scored by the best teams and during the first ten minutes of the game, Sanok's higher level of stick-handling and skating was visible. But we grew into the game and I am proud that we managed to get the game back to 3-3, but we lost against a better team,” said Andersson.
While both Sanok's and Brasov's head coaches have a lot of positives to take from this tournament, the mood within the Dunaujvaros camp was downbeat. Currently flying high in the Hungarian-Romanian MOL Liga, the Hungarian champions last year progressed undefeated through to the third round of the Continental Cup. This season's crop of players were now already out of contention going into the final round of games after two straight defeats, 6-2 against Sanok and 3-2 to Brasov, before some of their attacking prowess returned for their final game beating Prizma Riga 5-2.
“We are very disappointed. We had high hopes going into this tournament,” says Dunaujvaros head coach Don MacLean. “After starting well against Sanok they found a second gear as their first two lines came fast and hard and we could not pick them up,” he said. “We've met Brasov twice already this season, and although we won both games they had been very tough matches. Overall I was disappointed that we were so flat offensively. We scored a lot of goals in the league lately, but now a couple of our guys were quiet and the power play was not there,” he said.
A testament to the competitive level of the Group C was bottom-placed Prizma Riga. Being the only team in the competition without any full-time hockey players, they started off giving Brasov a scare before in the end losing with the odd goal. They then bounced back spectacularly, being the only team to overcome eventual winners Sanok following a phenomenal goaltending display by Riga's 29-year-old netminder Edgars Lusins. An injury on their influential netminder going into the final round of games meant a double-blow for the Latvians as his replacement Karlis Zakrevskis valiantly had to battle on for most of their final day defeat to Dunaujvaros despite suffering from fever.
“We are not at the same level as the other teams who are all professional,” said head coach Eriks Miluns. “Against Brasov we were leading 2-0 and missed two penalty shots in the game and had many other good scoring chances. We were unlucky against Brasov but had then had luck against Sanok. Our energy was then lost in the final game,” he said.
Group E of the Third round of the Continental Cup will be played in Angers, France, from 21st to 23rd November 2014 where KH Sanok will play hosts Angers Ducs, Neman Grodno (Belarus) and the Belfast Giants (Great Britain).
HENRIK MANNINEN
Final Ranking: 1. KH Sanok (POL) 6 points
2. Corona Brasov (ROU) 6 points
3. Dunaujvarosi Acelbikak (HUN) 3 points
4. Prizma Riga (LAT) 3 points
Individual Awards selected by the Directorate: Best Goalkeeper: Patrik Polc, Corona Brasov
Best Defenceman: Jaroslav Obsut, Corona Brasov
Best Forward: Mike Danton, KH Sanok
Click here for scores and stats from Group C. Click here for the overview of the Continental Cup.
