Zvolen find their moment, Košice leave no doubt

They saved their best for last.

HKM Zvolen have reached the semi-finals of the Tipos Extraliga after clobbering regular-season winners HK Spišská Nová Ves 3-0 in Game 6 on 28 March, clinching the series 4-2. Just like Nitra last year, Zvolen have ousted the league’s top seed in the quarter-finals.

The breakthrough came deep in the third period. With nerves stretched and chances scarce, Andrej Kudrna struck on the power play, two metres out by the right post. It was the game’s turning point—and ultimately, its decider. Matej Macek and William Rapuzzi sealed it late, with the visitors chasing the game without a goalie. 

“We came out much more aggressive in the third period, which surprised me a bit given how flat we’d looked in the first two,” admitted Zvolen head coach Peter Mikula. “It was always going to come down to a single goal—we got it, shut down the neutral zone, and saw it through to the finish.”

Across the country, HC Košice needed just 20 minutes to make their own statement on Friday night. The five first-period goals in Trenčín silenced the home crowd and sent the Eastern giants through with a 7-2 win, also wrapping up their series 4-2.

“We were relentless early,” said Košice captain Michal Chovan. “That’s the level we need every game.”

The semi-final matchups are now set: Zvolen will face Košice, while HK Nitra meet Vlci Žilina. But for Spišská Nová Ves, the wait for the finals will go on.

“It was our best game of the series,” lamented head coach Vladimír Záborský. “But we couldn’t crack [Pavel] Kantor. It’s hockey karma—we lost this in the first three games.”

Tipos Extraliga semi-final schedule