Corona Brasov emerges from a tough group and punches the ticket to Continental Semifinals

HK Mogo - FTC Telekom 5-2 (3-0,2-1,0-1)

Ferencvaros had a nightmare start in the first period, still clearly affected by their heavy defeat the night before against Corona Brasov. The Hungarian side struggled to keep pace and lacked aggression on the ice, which allowed Mogo to seize control early. Just 25 seconds into the game, Gints Meija, assisted by Kārlis Ozoliņš, opened the scoring for the Latvian team, putting Ferencvaros on the back foot immediately.

Mogo extended their lead at 6:16 when Gatis Sprukts, supported by Kaspars Zieminš and Elvis Želubovskis, made it 2-0. Ferencvaros looked disorganized and unable to respond. At 18:52, Reinis Mārtiņš Lejnieks capitalized on more defensive lapses, with assists from Kristers Ansons and Ernests Krūms, pushing Mogo's advantage to 3-0 by the end of the first period.

The second period saw Ferencvaros make a goalie change, with László Földes replacing Kristóf Nagy, but it did little to revive the team. At 35:04, Deivids Sarkanis, assisted by Gatis Sprukts and Kaspars Zieminš, scored Mogo's fourth goal, quickly followed by Kārlis Ozoliņš, who netted the fifth at 35:30 with help from Sarkanis and Gints Meija. The defense of Ferencvaros appeared to collapse under the relentless pressure, allowing individual brilliance from Mogo to go unchallenged.

The Hungarians managed a small consolation goal just before the second-period buzzer, when Martin Zoltán Turbucz found the back of the net at 39:58, assisted by Mate Seregely and Michael Keränen, making the score 5-1.

The third period saw a more balanced contest, as Ferencvaros finally managed to put some pressure on Mogo’s defense. They capitalized on a power play at 48:13, with Valentin Razumnyak scoring their second goal, assisted by Adam Brady and Paavo Tyni. Ferencvaros dominated possession and kept pressing, but Mogo's defense, backed by an outstanding performance from goalie Henrijs Ančs, who stopped 25 of 27 shots (92.00% save rate), held firm. Despite a physical decline in the final period, which had been a recurring issue for Mogo in previous games, they managed to secure the 5-2 victory and keep their hopes of qualification alive.

Statistically, Mogo outperformed Ferencvaros in almost every aspect. Deivids Sarkanis and Kārlis Ozoliņš led the charge with a goal and an assist each, while Gatis Sprukts and Gints Meija also contributed with both goals and assists. Kristers Ansons and Ernests Krūms were key playmakers as well, each recording assists in Mogo's dominant performance.

For Ferencvaros, Martin Zoltán Turbucz, named Man of the Match for his side, managed to score once, while Valentin Razumnyak netted the second goal. Despite their efforts, Ferencvaros couldn't overcome their shaky start, and their defense, particularly players like Gergely Mattyasovszky and Gergõ Tóth, struggled, each finishing with a -2 rating. In contrast, Mogo's key defensive players, including Kristaps Sotnieks and Ernests Krūms, ended with a solid +3 and +2, respectively, reflecting their strong performance throughout the game.

Ultimately, Mogo’s clinical finishing and solid defensive work secured the 3 points, while Ferencvaros was left to rue another disappointing outing, still showing signs of vulnerability from their earlier defeat.

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