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Riečický Posts Shutout, Petráš Brace — Košice Force Game 6
Košice shut out Slovan Bratislava 0:3 in Game 5 of the Tipsport liga semi-final. Repčík and Petráš (×2) scored, Riečický posted a clean sheet — series narrowed to 3:2.
Riečický Posts Shutout, Petráš Brace — Košice Force Game 6
HC Košice silenced HC Slovan Bratislava 3:0 at Tehelné pole on Sunday afternoon to extend the Tipsport liga semi-final series and prevent the home side from clinching their place in the final. Marek Petráš scored twice — his second on the empty net — and Šimon Repčík added the opener in the 23rd minute. Goaltender Dominik Riečický earned a Game 5 shutout on his first start of the series.
HC Slovan Bratislava – HC Košice 0:3 (0:0, 0:2, 0:1)
Goals: – 23. Repčík (Krivošík), 23. Petráš (Mikúš, Rosandič), 60. Petráš (empty net).
Goalies: Janus (Slovan) – Riečický (Košice). Penalties: 5:5. Power plays: 0:0. Attendance: 8,638.
/series: 3:2 Slovan Bratislava/
Repčík and Petráš strike in 30 seconds
The first period belonged to Slovan, who outshot the visitors and probed Riečický from the slot. The breakthrough came at the other end. In the 23rd minute Šimon Repčík picked up a Krivošík pass and beat Janus to the far post for 0:1; on the very next shift, Marek Petráš deflected Rosandič's point shot for 0:2. Slovan's coach Vladimír Országh called a timeout, but the damage was done.
Riečický's wall
The Košice goaltender, who had been benched for parts of Games 1-4, came in for his first start of the series and produced the cleanest individual performance of the night for either side. The home pressure mounted in the third — particularly with the goalie pulled — but Riečický stopped every shot.
Petráš seals it
With Slovan's net empty in the final minute and the home side throwing everything forward, Petráš slid the puck the length of the ice for an empty-netter in the 60th minute — his second of the night and the goal that confirmed the series was heading back to Košice.
Ceman: "I'm proud of these boys"
After the game, Košice coach Dan Ceman was emotional. "My boys are fighting and fighting. I am really proud of them. We are returning to Košice and focusing on the next one," he said.
What it means
Slovan still leads the series 3:2 but has lost two of three. Game 6 is in Košice on Tuesday. If Košice win again, the series shifts back to Bratislava on Thursday for Game 7 — and the season's hottest title race returns to the wire.