Tychy is still alive

Last call for GKS Tychy after the defeat in the first game: it’s to win or say goodbye to Superfinals dream for the Polish team, a tough task against Soligorsk. Tychy has Maxim Kartoshkin out for injury and again Stefan Zigardy as starting goalie; roster complete for Soligorsk. Shakhtar looking for a decisive victory to advance and thus avoid to play the last game against Rouen with qualification still pendant.

The game reflects the importance of result with both teams very concentrated in defending and few chances to score, even if Stefan Zigardy has more work than Malyutin, called to a difficult save just at minute 17 on a one-timer by Kolusz. Finally the equilibrium is broken at 23:45 when Soligorsk played very smartly a power play and score with a combination of its best player: Artem Levsha serves Viktor Andrushenko near the goal line for an easy tap-in. Kotlorz tries to get Tychy back on track, Malyutin is ready to deflect. At 32 big chance for Ilya Kambovich after a wrong pass of same Kotlorz, but Zigardy is concentrated in facing the tentative and rebounds with the leg. At 34 the game was stopped for about 5 minutes due to a problem with the plexiglass.

Game was stopped due problem with plexiglass

When the game restarts a controversial episode: Tychy scores with a long-range shot by Lopuski not secured by Malyutin but the referee disallows because the net was moved: the Tychy fans continue protesting trying to confront Soligorsk ones, after some moments of tension the police manages to separate the parties, while neutral French crowd boo them.

Police face Tychy fans trying to fight with Soligorsk crowd

Luckily the game restarts with no problem in the third period with Soligorsk in control and chances for Andrushenko and Letov. When game seems to sleep, at the pace wanted by Soligorsk, finally Tychy manages to score: after a tentative by Bepierszcz rebounded by defence, the puck is in the right position at the right time for Filip Komorski aiming the shot and find the net. The goal changes the game, now Tychy feels concrete the chance to overturn the score and the second goal comes at 54:33 with Bepierszcz ready to finalize with a beautiful shot under the bar the perfect assist of Michael Kolarz. The last minutes are a siege on Zigardy net but Polish team knows the importance of this chance and build a wall around the goalie grabbing a victory maybe not expected before the match but certainly deserved

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