Augsburger Panther vs Kometa Brno

Kometa could not have asked for a better start. Debutant defenceman Luke Witkowski opened the scoring at 01:11 of the first period, capping a breakout feed from Arttu Ilomäki to beat Augsburg netminder Tobias Ančička. The 1-0 lead held through the opening frame, with Kometa stifling the Panther attack and Italian referees Andrea Moschen and Omar Pinié calling only minor roughing penalties on Danny Chludil and Alexander Blank.

Augsburg levelled early in the second period. Enrico Morales Henriquez pounced on a rebound in the slot at 21:17, with Trevor Parkes and Felix Scheel Maegaard drawing assists. The game remained tight until Kometa struck shorthanded. After a flurry of penalties — Robert Leino (slashing), Henriquez (roughing), Pospíšil (roughing, 2+2), and Max Čajkovič (roughing) — Ilomäki collected a pass from Dalimil Mikyska at the red line, drove the net on a breakaway, and deked backhand past Ančička at 31:13. Kometa carried a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

The third period was decided inside a three-minute window. Kometa's Witkowski took a slashing minor at 44:12 and Augsburg's Parkes followed with a high-sticking call at 45:48. During the abbreviated four-on-four, Pospíšil unleashed a one-timer from the left circle off a Stanislav Svozil feed at 47:34, beating Ančička cleanly for a 3-1 lead.

Augsburg rallied immediately. Cameron Wright drove the right side, cut to the net, and slid the puck through Eugen Rabčan's pads at 50:31 to make it 3-2. A scrum ensued involving Radek Kučeřík and Adam Zbořil, earning Kučeřík a boarding minor, but Kometa killed the penalty and held on through the final nine minutes.

Pospíšil's one-timer at 47:34. Augsburg had momentum after back-to-back power-play opportunities early in the third, but Kometa's captain scored on the first clean look of the period. The goal restored a two-goal cushion from which Augsburg — despite Wright's strike three minutes later — could not fully recover.

Arttu Ilomäki (Kometa Brno) — Player of the Match. The Finnish forward registered a game-high three points: a shorthanded breakaway goal, the primary assist on Witkowski's opener, and the secondary helper on Pospíšil's winner. His shorthanded strike at 31:13 flipped the momentum after Augsburg equalised.

Kristián Pospíšil (Kometa Brno) — Two goals, both on clinical finishes. The Slovak captain scored the decisive 3-1 goal at 47:34 and drew a penalty that contributed to the four-on-four situation.

Cameron Wright (Augsburger Panther) — Scored Augsburg's second goal to cut the deficit to one and was the Panthers' most dangerous forward, creating chances off the rush.

Eugen Rabčan (Kometa Brno) — Solid in goal with several key stops in the third period, particularly after Augsburg trimmed the lead to 3-2. Held firm during the final push.

Kometa scored twice in the second period — including a shorthanded goal — to flip a 0-0 even-strength game into a 2-1 lead Augsburg never fully recovered from. The Panthers managed only one goal across the first 47 minutes despite sustained zone time, hinting at finishing issues that plagued their 2025-26 DEL campaign (11th place, third-most goals conceded). Kometa took seven penalties but their PK yielded nothing at full strength and produced a short-handed goal. Attendance was listed at 1,300.

Kometa Brno advance to Sunday's final (20:00 CEST) at the Würth Arena, facing the winner of Saturday's second semi-final between EV Zug and Eisbären Berlin (15:30 CEST). Augsburg will contest the third-place match on Sunday at 15:45 CEST against the loser of that fixture.

For Kometa, this marks their third Dolomiten Cup appearance and a chance to win the tournament for the first time. Augsburg — the tournament's record champion with six titles — cannot add a seventh but will aim to finish on the podium.

The match was the first-ever meeting between Augsburger Panther and Kometa Brno. The Panthers, under Canadian head coach Bill Peters, were playing their first competitive fixture since mid-March 2026 after missing the DEL play-offs.

A deserved win for Kometa, sharper in transition and more clinical in the decisive moments. Ilomäki's three-point night and Pospíšil's finishing were the difference. Augsburg showed fight after falling behind but lacked the finishing touch when it mattered most.