Litomerice vs Chomutov

The opening period delivered little in the way of clear-cut chances. Both sides struggled with sloppy passing through the neutral zone, with the game frequently bogged down between the blue lines. Litoměřice's best look came in the 7th minute when Ondřej Hrabík drove from the left wing to beat Pavel Jekel on the backhand but could not find the net.

The second period gradually opened up. Litoměřice had a powerplay after Michael Krutil was penalised but could not convert — Vasyl Špilka missed a gilt-edged chance shortly after the man advantage ended, failing to steer the puck into an open net.

Chomutov made them pay. In the 31st minute, Marek Baránek received space in the left circle, wound up and beat Martin Michajlov with a precise shot under the crossbar to make it 1-0. Litoměřice responded. Jakub Hujer hit the post in the 34th minute, but the equaliser arrived at 37:51. Jekel kicked out a dangerous shot but could only direct it to the right circle, where Samuel Fiala was unmarked to smash home the rebound — assisted by Jenčovský and Pilíšek.

The third period stayed scoreless despite chances at both ends. Litoměřice's Michael Koštoval fired wide from the top of the circles, and Šimon Jelínek shot over on a 2-on-1 rush. At the other end, a defensive-zone turnover presented a chance to Jonáš Bednařík in the slot, but Michajlov made a sharp save.

After 60 minutes could not separate the sides, 3v3 overtime followed. Chomutov's Jan Šprynar took a slashing penalty at 63:00, handing Litoměřice a two-minute powerplay — their best chance to settle it. But the home side could not find a finish, and the game went to a shootout.

Matěj Přibyl was the hero, stepping up in the sixth round of the shootout to beat Jekel after both sides traded misses through the first five. Neither team managed a single regulation goal in the first or third periods.

Marek Baránek (Chomutov) opened the scoring with a clinical finish from distance and was a threat throughout. Samuel Fiala (Litoměřice) provided the crucial equaliser with a predatory rebound strike. Martin Michajlov (Litoměřice) made several key saves, including the stop on Bednařík late in the third period, and held firm in the shootout. Pavel Jekel (Chomutov) was equally sharp, making 11 saves through regulation and overtime.

Player of the match: Matěj Přibyl — his shootout winner secured Litoměřice's first preseason win.

The 2-1 shootout scoreline reflects the cagey nature of early preseason hockey. Neither team reached full offensive flow — the score was knotted at 1-1 from the 38th minute onwards, and overtime required a powerplay to generate any sustained pressure. Litoměřice's penalty count (1 against vs Chomutov's 2) gave them the best structural edge, but they failed to convert on the man advantage. The attendance of 694 at Kalich Arena suggests healthy local interest for a mid-August friendly.

This is Litoměřice's first win of their preseason schedule (W1 D0 L2 so far), after losses to Sparta Prague (Extraliga) and Chrudim. Chomutov now hold a 2-1 lead in the all-time head-to-head in friendlies this summer. Both teams are preparing for the 2026/27 Maxa Liga season — the second tier of Czech hockey — which gets underway in September.

Litoměřice's next friendly is at home against Dynamo Pardubice "B" on Thursday 20 August. Chomutov's next preseason fixture has not been announced.

A predictably scrappy early-preseason affair decided by shootout lottery. Litoměřice will be encouraged by their resilience after falling behind, but the powerplay in OT was a missed opportunity. Chomutov were disciplined defensively but lacked a cutting edge after Baránek's opener. Both sides have plenty to sharpen before competitive hockey begins.