Prerov vs Vsetin

Kuchta's double-minor for high-sticking at 56:54 shifted the game's momentum decisively. Prerov killed the penalty through the final 3:06 of regulation, but the strain of defending for nearly four minutes — and the 54 seconds of overlap into overtime — left them on their heels as overtime began. Vsetín carried that pressure directly into Zahradníček's winner at 64:15, immediately after Prerov had finally returned to full strength.

• Jan Zahradníček (Vsetín) — The OT winner was his only shot of the match, but its timing made it the decisive contribution. Positioning at the back post to finish Jenáček's feed showed poise in a tight space.
• Šimon Jenáček (Vsetín) — Creator of the winning goal with a precise cross-ice feed from the left circle, and a steady presence on the blue line throughout.
• Schnattinger (Prerov) — The Prerov goaltender kept his team in the game with a series of sharp saves, notably denying Kale Costa's breakaway and follow-up in the second period, and a strong left-pad stop on Filip Suchý from close range at 38:17.
• Pavlíček (Vsetín) — His shutout was relatively quiet — Prerov managed few genuine threats — but a sharp left-pad stop on a quick Prerov counter at 62:03 preserved the deadlock moments before the winner.

Player of the Match: Jan Zahradníček (Vsetín)

The 1-0 scoreline is an extreme outlier in this rivalry. Across 45 previous meetings, both teams scored in 91% of games and over 2.5 goals landed in 93% — meaning virtually every prior encounter produced at least three goals. This was the first goalless regulation between the sides in their known head-to-head history. Penalties favoured Vsetín 5-3, but neither side converted on the power play (0/5 for Prerov, 0/3 for Vsetín before overtime).

For Vsetín, the win builds on a solid pre-season: they opened with a 4-0 home shutout of Poruba and lost only in a shootout at Nový Jičín before this victory. Prerov, meanwhile, will look to sharpen their finishing after failing to score despite home ice in a fixture that typically produces goals. Both clubs are preparing for the 2026-27 Maxa Liga season — the Czech second tier — where they are expected to be competitive.

A classic pre-season arm-wrestle decided by a single moment of OT quality. Vsetín deserved the win on territorial control, but Prerov's Schnattinger was immense in goal. The Zahradníček-Jenáček connection was the difference between a shootout and a clean victory.