Poprad vs HC 19 Humenne

Poprad started on the front foot and capitalised early. At 05:03, Adam Dvořák redirected a feed from Tyler Coulter past Humenné goaltender Matej Hurčík to open the scoring 1–0. The period belonged to Poprad territorially, though they faced a disciplined Humenné defence that limited further damage. Humenné took five minor penalties in the first period alone — hooking, illegal check, kneeing, too many men, and slashing — but Poprad could not convert on any of them.

The second period saw Poprad stretch the lead decisively. Dvořák struck again at 23:18, again set up by Coulter, to make it 2–0. Just over three minutes later, defenceman Filip Mezovský hammered home from Coulter's third assist to make it 3–0 at 26:36, chasing Hurčík's crease.

Humenné answered immediately. On the powerplay after Peter Bjalončík's holding penalty, Dominik Borov tipped in at 28:15 to cut the deficit to 3–1. The visitors carried that momentum into the second intermission.

In the third period, Humenné struck again on the man advantage. Jakub Cibák and Filip Vrábeľ set up Lukáš Toma, who made it 3–2 at 47:48 — a one-goal game with 12 minutes to play.

But Poprad responded inside 100 seconds. Andrew Calof finished a slick passing sequence from Oliver Pataky and Adam Cracknell at 49:25 to restore the two-goal cushion at 4–2. Poprad killed off the remainder without serious alarm, with goaltender Filip Belányi making key saves down the stretch.

Humenné had seized momentum after Toma's powerplay goal at 47:48 made it 3–2, with 12 minutes left to find an equaliser. Poprad's answer — Calof's goal just 97 seconds later — was the decisive blow. Had Humenné held that pressure and levelled, the game's arc flips entirely. Instead, Calof's finish ended any hope of a comeback and Poprad closed out professionally.

• Adam Dvořák (Poprad) — 2 goals (5', 24'). The import forward opened and doubled the lead, both finished with composure from Coulter's feeds. His first-period opener settled early nerves; his second stood as the game-winner.
• Tyler Coulter (Poprad) — 3 assists. The Canadian centre was the creative engine, setting up all three of Poprad's first-period and second-period goals. His vision on the cycle created the space Dvořák and Mezovský exploited.
• Andrew Calof (Poprad) — 1 goal (the 4–2 clincher). His ice-cool finish 97 seconds after Humenné had made it 3–2 was the match's most important moment.
• Lukáš Toma (Humenné) — 1 powerplay goal. The forward's mid-third-period strike gave his team a lifeline they ultimately could not hold.

Player of the Match: Adam Dvořák (HK Poprad) — two goals including the decisive opener and game-winner.

The scoreline (4–2) does not fully capture the special-teams imbalance. Poprad went 0-for-5 on the powerplay despite ample first-period chances — Humenné successfully killed all five Poprad advantages. Humenné, conversely, converted 2 of their 5 powerplay opportunities (40%), with Borov and Toma scoring on the man advantage. That 2-for-5 return kept the visitors in the game despite being outplayed at even strength. Poprad's penalty kill (3/5, 60%) was a rare weakness, but their even-strength play — three of four goals at 5-on-5 — told the real story of territorial dominance. Discipline was even: both sides finished with 18 penalty minutes from 9 infractions each.

Poprad move to 6 points from their two Tatra Cup matches (6–0 vs Dunaújváros, 4–2 vs Humenné), sitting atop the four-team round-robin ahead of Sunday's decisive clash with Dukla Trenčín (30 August, 15:00 local). Humenné, after losses to Trenčín (3–6) and Poprad, remain on 0 points with one match left against Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák on 30 August. The tournament winner will be decided on the final day.

Poprad's superior even-strength play and depth — three lines capable of scoring — proved too much for a game but over-penalised Humenné side. The hosts' powerplay inefficiency is a minor concern before the Trenčín showdown, but two wins from two with a +8 goal difference (10–2 combined) signals strong early-season form. Humenné showed spirit in rallying twice but their tournament exits without a point.