Club Friendly· Season 2026
Mountfield HK beat Liberec 6-4 in a pre-season thriller at ČPP Aréna, with Robert Kousal scoring twice and Dávid Mudrák adding an empty-netter to seal a 4-0 pre-season start.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Mountfield struck inside two minutes when Robert Kousal — the 35-year-old forward making his early mark since joining Hradec — converted from close range after a feed from Aleš Jergl (2'). But Liberec responded swiftly. Martin Faško-Rudáš equalised at 6' (assisted by Tomáš Filippi and Tomáš Galvas), and Jakub Rychlovský tipped home at 10' to put the visitors 2-1 up.
A power-play goal from Alex Tamáši — deflecting Lukáš Radil's shot-pass at 19' — levelled at 2-2 after the first period, a fair reflection of an open frame.
The second period followed the same pattern. Servác Petrovský restored Liberec's lead with a man-advantage goal at 29' (assists from Adam Musil and Tomáš Galvas). But Mountfield flipped the game inside 98 seconds: Lukáš Radil pounced on a loose puck after Patrik Miškář's blocked shot to make it 3-3 at 38', and Robert Kousal raced clear on a breakaway at 39' to complete his brace and give the hosts a 4-3 lead heading into the final period.
Jakub Rychlovský beat Tomáš Vomáčka with a backhand deke at 43' for his second of the night, restoring parity at 4-4. The game seemed destined for overtime when Mountfield produced a decisive late surge. Dominik Pavlík swept home from close range at 58' after a defensive-zone turnover by Liberec, and Dávid Mudrák iced the win with an empty-net goal from inside his own zone at 59' after the visitors pulled goaltender Petr Kváča for an extra skater.
The turning point
Liberec's failed clearance behind their own net with under three minutes to go proved decisive. The turnover gifted the puck to Markus Nenonen, whose pass set up Dominik Pavlík to fire into an unguarded net. Mountfield went from 4-4 to 6-4 in 74 seconds — the kind of ruthlessness pre-season is designed to instil.
Key performers
- Robert Kousal (Mountfield HK) — two goals (2', 39'), including a breakaway to put his side ahead late in the second period. The veteran forward, a new arrival this summer, already looks integrated. 🟢 Player of the match.
- Jakub Rychlovský (Liberec) — a brace of his own (10', 43'), the second a neatly executed breakaway backhand. The Liberec-born forward, who returned to the club this off-season, showed the finishing touch that made him the top scorer in the U20 league last season.
- Tomáš Vomáčka (Mountfield HK) — made several sharp saves, particularly in the second period when Liberec held sustained pressure after Petrovský's goal, and again late in the third with the score tied.
- Lukáš Radil (Mountfield HK) — a goal and an assist, including the pass that set up Tamáši's power-play equaliser in the first.
By the numbers — interpreted
Both sides finished with one power-play goal from limited opportunities (Mountfield 1/4, Liberec 1/2). The penalty differential (2 against Mountfield, 4 against Liberec) suggests discipline favoured the home side, though neither team's special teams dominated. The six-goal tally continues a long-running trend: 94% of the 50 all-time meetings between these clubs have gone over 2.5 goals, and the average of 5.22 goals per match held up emphatically here. Pre-season caveats apply — both sides rotated liberally, with Mountfield icing four forward lines and seven defencemen — but the attacking intent was unmistakable from both benches.
What it means
Mountfield HK complete the first block of their pre-season with a 4-0-0 record, having beaten Jihlava (3-0), Olomouc (3-2), EC Red Bull Salzburg (2-1 SO) and now Liberec. Their next friendly is at home against Graz 99ers on Friday 21 August (17:00 CET).
Liberec's pre-season form reads 2-1-1 after wins over Mladá Boleslav (3-1 and 6-0), a shutout loss to Kladno (0-1) and this defeat. They host Graz 99ers on Monday 25 August.
Verdict
A thoroughly entertaining pre-season friendly that delivered everything except defence. Both teams have attacking chemistry to be encouraged by and structural work still to do before the Extraliga campaign begins. Kousal's two-goal showing was the headline, but the resilience Mountfield showed — equalising three times before taking the lead — will please head coach Tomáš Martinec most.
Match Events
Key match events between Mountfield HK and Liberec — 10 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
K. Klima
T. Galvas
T. Melancon
T. Galvas
P. Miskar
Empty net
Rivalry since 2018
Mountfield HK vs Liberec Head to Head Results· 50
Mountfield HK and Liberec have met 50 times — Mountfield HK won 22, Liberec won 28, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2018. Liberec leads the head-to-head with 28 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 261 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.22 per match (120 for the home side, 141 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 43 matches (86%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 47 games (94%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 6–4 in 2023.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 20 Aug 2026