Euro Hockey Challenge: A victory for Czech Rep. against Norway

The game took a place in the arena built for the 1994 Winter Olympic Games, but the attendance was a disappointment, into the arena had come just 766 of spectators. If there was a good reason why to play preliminary games between the top and the worse European countries, it was an opportunity for the local hockey fans to see the hockey superpowers on the home ground, but the Norwegians sent a message, that they aren’t interested.

On the other hand, they had nothing to see during 43 minutes of the game. Both teams were playing in incomplete setups and a big part of the players passed through a game-blackout after an end of their club’s season and the goal chances could be counted on the fingers of a hand.

Really good-defending Norway didn’t approve many chances to the Czechs and the first goal came as late as during the 45^th minute: The Norwegians took the lead after Fröshaug’s goal from a shot after a rebound from the Czech defender’s skate.

The Czechs didn’t wait with a good answer for a long time, exactly for 73 seconds. Ivan Rachůnek scored a goal after Štich’s assist.  This was an impulse for Czechs to start with really good play. Gulaši and also Průcha could give the lead to the Czech team but only David Štich was able to score again in the last minutes of a game: Czech republic used its power play ten minutes before the final whistle.

The Czechs were still in the pressure, but the score 1-2 was the final result of a game. The revenge is on the plan for Saturday, Apr 2.

Norway - Czech Rep. 1:2 (0:0, 0:0, 1:2)

Goals and assists: 45. Fröshaug - 46. I. Rachůnek (Štich), 50. Štich.
Referees: Andersen, Bigum - Kilian, Thöger-Andresen (all NOR).
Penalties: 7:3. PP goals: 0:1. Spectators: 766.

Norway: Haugen - Csiszar, Bonsaksen, Rindal, E.F. Johansen, Östli, Espeland, Sörvik, Mostue - Hesbrathen, Röymark, Oppöyen - K.H. Spets, Ask, Martinsen - Fröshaug, Fredriksen, Olsen - Huse, Olimb, L.E. Spets. Coach: Ray Johansen.
Czech Rep.: Jakub Kovář - Němec, Čáslava, Sičák, Ptáček, Nakládal, Mojžíš, Štich, Derner - Šimánek, Novotný, Hubáček - Gulaš, Koukal, Průcha - Kvapil, J. Straka, R. Dlouhý - Vantuch, Pech, I. Rachůnek. Coaches: Alois Hadamczik and Josef Paleček.

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