Favourites from Herbadent do not allow complications and grab fifth place — 04.10.2015

In the morning game of the last tournament day, the last season´s Czech vice-champions confirmed their role of favourites, defeated the Norwegian team Sveiva IB by 6:3 and finished on the fifth position in this year´s Champions Cup.

It has become a kind of an unwritten rule at the Champions Cup in Mladá Boleslav that Czech teams have weaker starts into their games. And Herbadent Praha 11 SJM didn´t change anything on this negative tradition. They were outplayed by the Norwegian early in the game and in the fourth minute Luize Billinska hit the post. At 5:36 Čapková tackled too aggressively and was sent to cool down in the penalty box. While Herbadent managed to kill Sveiva´s penalty, five seconds after the power play their goalie Kuchyňková conceded in the end.

Herbadent players were hyped up by the allowed goal, they stepped up a gear and it was apparent on the court. The Norwegians spent most of the time defending on their own half, whereas Herbadent players were looking for openings and gaps in Sveiva´s defence with quick passes and good movement, trying to find a way to Malin Dahler´s goal. The first success came in the 16th minute thanks to Herbadent´s lively second line – Lucie Pilíková smartly poke-checked the ball and passed it to Kubišová, who tied the score at 1:1. Virtually right during the next shift the captain Šteglová sent a hard shot below the crossbar and turned the score around in favour of Herbadent.

The image of the game didn´t change in the second period either. Herbadent kept attacking, while Sveiva was deep in their defence and tried to threaten only from counter-attacks. The Czech vice-champions´ pressure brought two goals that meant a comfortable 4:1 lead. But still there were a few more obstacles on Herbadent´s focused way towards the win and the fifth place at this year´s Champions Cup, such as Luize Bilinska´s huge effort to turn the game into a drama in the third period, which she supported with two goals. In the 55th minute, the Latvian playing for Sveiva IB scored from a penalty shot, which was faced by the experienced Herbadent goalie Jana Christianová – 4:2. But the defending Norwegian players somehow didn´t block long-distance shots, for which they were punished by Košturiaková as well as Čapková, who set the final result at 6:3 with four seconds left in the game.

Herbadent Praha 11 SJM defeated the Norwegian team Sveiva IB by 6:3 and finished on the fifth position in this year´s Champions Cup.

Sveiva IB - Herbadent Praha 11 SJM 3:6
goals: 8. Jenny Vestin, 55. Luize Bilinska, 60. Luize Bilinska - 16. Dominika Kubišová, 17. Dominika Šteglová, 31. Dominika Steinbachová, 38. Dominika Kubišová, 57. Lucia Košturiaková, 60. Martina Čapková; referees: Glenn Boström - Håkan Söderman; penalties: 2:2; PP goals: 0:0; attendance: 412; goalie saves: Malin Dahler 18 - Eliška Kuchyňková 20, Jana Christianová 21; periods: 1:2, 0:2, 2:2;