Extraliga· Season 2025
Slovan Bratislava beat Nitra 4-3 in a shootout in Game 4 of the Tipsport Liga final. Tomáš Královič converted the decisive shootout attempt, giving Slovan a 3-1 series lead and a championship match point.
Match Videos
Player Ratings
1.0 – 10.0Tomáš Královič
Assist on Varga's 57:00 equalizer + the decisive shootout goal. Hero of a tense, swing-prone game.
Samuel Takáč
Goal at 27:00 (Acolatse) plus assist on Varga's late equalizer. Most visible Slovan forward of the night.
Jamie Lawrence
Two goals (22:00 PP, 46:00) plus assist on Lacka's shorthanded marker. Whenever Nitra needed an answer, Lawrence delivered.
Roman Varga
Power-play equalizer at 57:00 (Takáč, Královič). Sent the game to overtime, where Slovan would seal the win in the shootout.
Match Analysis
AI SummarySlovan Wins Shootout Thriller, Takes 3-1 Series Lead
Slovan Bratislava beat Nitra 4-3 in a shootout in Game 4 of the Tipsport Liga 2025/26 final, taking a 3-1 series lead and a championship match point. Tomáš Královič converted the decisive shootout attempt after Slovan rallied from a 2-3 third-period deficit.
HC Slovan Bratislava – HK Nitra 4-3 SO (0-0, 1-2, 2-1 – 0-0 OT, 1-0 SO)
Goals: 27 Takáč (Acolatse), 44 Elson (Dmowski, Bačik), 57 Varga (Takáč, Královič, PP), shootout Královič – 22 Lawrence (Jackson, Graham, PP), 36 Lacka (Čederle, Vitaloš, SH), 46 Lawrence (Jackson).
Goalies: Kiviaho – Ferguson. Penalties: 2-4 minors. Power plays: 1-1, shorthanded: 0-1. Attendance: 10,055 (sold out).
/series: 3-1/
Lawrence opens the scoring on the power play
The first period ended scoreless. Jamie Lawrence broke through on the power play at 22:00 from Jackson and Graham assists to make it 0-1. Samuel Takáč answered at 27:00 (Acolatse) to tie it at 1-1.
Lacka shorthanded, Lawrence again
In a curious sequence, Jakub Lacka beat Slovan's penalty kill — putting Nitra ahead shorthanded at 36:00 (Čederle, Vitaloš). Tristin Elson tied it at 44:00 (Dmowski, Bačik). Lawrence struck again at 46:00 (Jackson) for 2-3.
Varga drags the game to overtime
Samuel Buček's tripping penalty at 56:00 gave Slovan a critical late power play. Roman Varga finished a Takáč-Královič combination at 57:00 to make it 3-3. Overtime stayed scoreless. In the shootout, Královič converted the decisive attempt for the 4-3 final.
What it means
Slovan now has a championship match point with the series 3-1. Game 5 in Nitra on 26 April is Slovan's first chance to lift the cup. The second consecutive shootout in this final demonstrated Slovan's late-game composure — and Nitra's dilemma: they led three times tonight and lost. The visitors must now win three games in a row, including two on the road, to take the title.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of Game 4?
Slovan Bratislava beat Nitra 4-3 in a shootout (0-0, 1-2, 2-1 – 0-0 OT, 1-0 SO) on 24 April 2026.
What is the series score after Game 4?
Slovan leads 3-1 and has a championship match point. Game 5 is on 26 April 2026 in Nitra.
Who scored the decisive shootout goal?
Tomáš Královič converted the decisive shootout attempt to seal Slovan's 4-3 win and championship match point.
Who scored for Slovan Bratislava?
Samuel Takáč (27:00, Acolatse), Tristin Elson (44:00, Dmowski & Bačik) and Roman Varga (57:00 PP, Takáč & Královič). Plus Královič's shootout winner.
Who scored for Nitra?
Jamie Lawrence (22:00 PP, Jackson & Graham; 46:00, Jackson) and Jakub Lacka (36:00 SH, Čederle & Vitaloš).
When can Slovan clinch the title?
Slovan has its first championship match point in Game 5 in Nitra on Sunday 26 April 2026 at 18:00. A win there would give Slovan the Tipsport Liga title.
Match Events
Key match events between Slovan Bratislava and Nitra — 6 goals and 6 cards recorded during the match.
Roughing
Roughing
Roughing
Delay of game
J. Graham
Cross-checking
M. Vitalos
P. Bacik
Tripping
T. Kralovic
Rivalry since 2021
Slovan Bratislava vs Nitra Head to Head Results· 50
Slovan Bratislava and Nitra have met 50 times — Slovan Bratislava won 29, Nitra won 21, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2021. Slovan Bratislava leads the head-to-head with 29 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 332 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.64 per match (180 for the home side, 152 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 46 matches (92%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 48 games (96%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Nitra are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 5–8 in 2021.
Match Context
Tipsport Liga 2025/26 — playoff final, Game 4 of 7
Game 4 of the Slovak Extraliga (Tipsport Liga) playoff final. Slovan, fresh off a 4-2 win in Game 3, could push the series to 3-1; Nitra needed a road answer to keep the series competitive.
Slovan Bratislava
A win would give Slovan a championship match point and the chance to clinch the title in Nitra in Game 5.
Nitra
Nitra needed to even the series at 2-2 and steal home-ice momentum back; otherwise the road back to Bratislava with a 1-3 deficit would be all but impossible.
Pre-Match Analysis
Slovan Bratislava Form
Slovan won Games 2 and 3 after losing Game 1. Series form: L-W-W.
Nitra Form
Nitra dropped two in a row (2-7, 2-4) after the opening 6-2 win. Series form: W-L-L.
Head to Head
Slovan led the series 2-1 entering this game; series goal differential was 13-9 in Slovan's favor.
Match Report
The first period ended scoreless. Jamie Lawrence opened the scoring on the power play at 22:00 (Jackson, Graham) for 0-1. Samuel Takáč answered at 27:00 (Acolatse) for 1-1. Jakub Lacka then put Nitra ahead 1-2 at 36:00 with a shorthanded goal (Čederle, Vitaloš). Tristin Elson tied it at 2-2 at 44:00 (Dmowski, Bačik). Lawrence struck again at 46:00 (Jackson) for 2-3. Slovan went to a critical late power play after Samuel Buček took a tripping penalty at 56:00, and Roman Varga finished a Takáč-Královič setup at 57:00 to make it 3-3. Overtime was scoreless. In the shootout, Tomáš Královič converted the decisive attempt to win 4-3.
Turning Point
Varga's power-play equalizer at 57:00. After Lawrence had put Nitra ahead twice in the game and the visitors looked set to even the series, Buček's late tripping penalty handed Slovan the chance — and Varga buried it.
Slovan leads the series 3-1 with a championship match point. Game 5 in Nitra on 26 April is Slovan's first chance to clinch the title. The second consecutive shootout in this final demonstrated Slovan's resilience: Nitra led three times tonight and Slovan answered each time.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 15 Jun 2026