Hc 19 Humenne vs Presov

Presov took the initiative early, breaking the deadlock in the 15th minute when Fric buried the first goal to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The opener rattled the home crowd at Humenne's rink and forced the hosts into a reactive first period. Despite home pressure, Presov held firm to head to the first intermission with the advantage.

The hosts came out reinvigorated for the second period and were rewarded in the 25th minute. Vrabel capitalised on a fine build-up from Toma and Vasko, finishing clinically to restore parity at 1-1. The equaliser sparked renewed hope among the home faithful, and the second period ended level — setting up a tense final 20 minutes with everything still to play for.

The decisive third period belonged entirely to Presov. In the 50th minute, Indrasis restored the visitors' lead with an assist from Bukarts, punishing Humenné for a defensive lapse and proving to be the turning point of the contest. Six minutes later, Cormier applied the finishing touch in the 56th minute to make it 3-1 and extinguish any hopes of a Humenné comeback.

The third goal gave Presov a commanding cushion, and the home side could not manufacture a response in the closing stages. Presov ran down the clock to claim all three points in a hard-fought playoff encounter.

With this victory, Presov maintain first place in the promotion playoff group and keep alive their ambition to retain Tipsport Liga status for the 2026/27 season. Despite their difficult regular-season record — 12th place, 38 points, and a league-worst 103 goals scored against 215 conceded — Presov have shown resilience when it matters most in the barrage.

For HC 19 Humenne, the home defeat is a significant blow. Having levelled the contest in the second period, they were unable to replicate the fight in the third period, and now face an uphill task in the remaining games of the series. With survival still at stake for both sides, the tension heading into the closing stages of the playoff will only intensify.