Zvolen vs Stavanger

The home side exploded out of the gates. Jakub Kolenič opened the scoring at 2:49 of the first period, needing barely three minutes to beat Stavanger goalkeeper Holm. Just 44 seconds later, Tanner Josling doubled the lead at 3:33, and the TIPOSBET Aréna was rocking. Matej Macek made it 3-0 at 10:41, chasing Holm from the net after just three goals on 11 first-period shots. Stavanger's Mathias Rødne pulled one back at 18:39 to make it 3-1 after one, but the damage was done.

Jakub Tkáč restored Zvolen's three-goal cushion in the second period, scoring at 35:44 to make it 4-1. The third period was scoreless as Zvolen's defence, anchored by goaltender Samuel Klimeš, comfortably managed the remaining time.

Zvolen's three-goal blitz in the opening 10:41 — scoring on their second, third and sixth shots of the game — effectively decided the contest before it reached the quarter-mark. Stavanger never recovered from the 3-0 deficit, and the early substitution of starting goaltender Holm for Zachary Émond disrupted any rhythm the Oilers hoped to establish.

• Jakub Kolenič (Zvolen) — 1 goal and 1 assist. Also scored the winner against Banská Bystrica on Friday. Tournament's most dangerous forward.
• Tanner Josling (Zvolen) — opened his pre-season account with a well-timed second goal of the tournament.
• Samuel Klimeš (Zvolen) — solid in net; faced 24 Norwegian shots and conceded only Rødne's first-period strike.

Zvolen's 4-1 scoreline flattered their efficiency more than territorial dominance. The home side struck on 4 of their first 15 shots (26.7% conversion rate in the first two periods), while Stavanger mustered 24 shots but only beat Klimeš once. Zvolen's discipline was also key: they stayed out of the penalty box, limiting Stavanger — who scored 2 powerplay goals against Banská Bystrica on the opening day — to no power-play opportunities.

Zvolen finished the tournament with 2 wins from 3 (beating Banská Bystrica 4-3 on Friday, having lost the opener to Frýdek-Místek in a shootout), securing first place in the four-team round-robin. Stavanger finished second with 2 wins (4-3 OT vs Banská Bystrica, 4-3 vs Frýdek-Místek) and 1 loss. The win caps a strong pre-season for Marek Zadina's side ahead of the Tipsport liga campaign. Zvolen's next pre-season test is against FTC Budapest at home on 27 August.

A ruthless first-period burst settled this before it became a contest. Zvolen's efficiency in front of goal and defensive composure after the early flurry suggests they are further along in their pre-season preparations than their Norwegian counterparts. The Memoriál Pavla Zábojníka trophy stays in Zvolen.