Last season, Zlín left the top competition after 42 years and did not do well in the second top competition at first either, but in the final finish, they advanced directly to the quarter-finals, where they knocked out the third Poruba from sixth place after winning 3:1 on matches.
In Třebíč, the guests took the lead at 5:17, after Zdeněk Sedlák drove past goalkeeper Pavel Jekel and scored with a forehand finish. In the 9th minute, the duel had to be interrupted due to unsuitable ice. Zlín increased the lead 71 seconds before the end of the opening half, Dominik Luža scored after the action of captain Pavel Kubiš.
In the 28th minute, Petr Mrázek secured a three-goal advantage for the guests from a renumbering. At 34:04, Matěj Novák scored on the power play, but in the 38th minute, Petr Kratochvíl restored the three-goal lead to the Rams.
Horácká Slavia did not give up. After eight minutes of the final period, Lukáš Forman’s shot was deflected in by Matyáš Svoboda, and on a power play 81 seconds before the end, Martin Dočekal, the most productive player of the regular season, reduced the difference to a single goal, returning to the game after injury from the second quarterfinal against Přerov. Třebíč was no longer able to settle.
Vsetín beat Prostějov
Vsetín successfully advanced to the final for the second time in a row. The Wallachians opened the scoring after 54 seconds, when Roman Půček hit the puck into the open goal after Miroslav Holc’s shot. In the 4th minute, Martin Pěnčík equalized with a backhand finish, but three seconds before the end of the first period, Luboš Rob restored the home team’s lead in a five-to-three power play.
In the 23rd minute, Jakub Illéš again erased the loss from the stop, but Vsetín led again in 53 seconds. Holec charged Pavla Klhůfka between the circles, who beat Jaroslav Pavelka. In the 38th minute, Pavel Jenyš ensured the Wallachians’ lead from a breakaway. At 43:09, Tomáš Jáchym put Jestřáby in touch in a power play, but the home side defended their narrow lead.
| Semifinals of the first hockey Chance league playoffs – 1st matches: |
|---|
| Vsetín – Prostějov 4:3 (2:1, 2:1, 0:1) |
| Goals: 1. R. Půček, 20. Rob, 24. Klhůfek, 38. Jenyš – 4. Pěnčík, 23. Illéš, 44. T. Jáchym. Referee: Zavřel, Kubicík – Maštalíř, Bohuněk. Exclusion: 7:7, in addition Česánek, Š. Jenáček – Illéš, Maruna all 5 min. Usage: 1:1. Viewers: 3896. |
| Třebíč – Zlín 3:4 (0:2, 1:2, 2:0) |
| Goals: 35. Matěj Novák, 48. M. Svoboda, 59. Dočekal – 6. Z. Sedlák, 19. Luža, 28. P. Mrázek, 38. Kratochvíl. Referee: Bejček, Kostourek – Štofa, Thuma. Exclusion: 0:5. Usage: 1:0. Viewers: 3328. |
| Other semi-final schedule: |
| Sunday 19 March – 2nd matches: |
| 17:00 Vsetín – Prostějov, |
| 17:30 Třebíč – Zlín. |
