RAHL3 – Rounds 7 and 8: Admirals beat Rockets 7:1 and still haven't dropped a point, Hockey for all top Group B

The clash of two unbeaten teams – the leaders of Group A and Group B – was decided by Admirals in the first half. Filip Francisty opened the scoring in the 5th minute, Ivan Nociar made it two, and then came three goals in 57 seconds: Michal Andel in the 12th minute, Lukáš Látka and Francisty again in the 13th. Radovan Francisty added a sixth goal before the break. Rockets pulled one back in the 25th minute through Miroslav Wieger, and Filip Kandalik made the final score 7:1. Filip Francisty had 2+1, Nociar, Radovan Francisty and Kandalik 1+1 each. Rockets, who had averaged more than seven goals in their previous seven games, lost for the first time this season. Admirals have eight wins from eight games and a goal difference of 48:5.

Hockey for all took advantage of the Rockets' defeat and, after a 4:0 win over Alpha Hockey Team, now lead Group B. Martin Zervan and Robert Ballúch scored in the 5th and 7th minutes, Ballúch added a third goal 28 seconds before the break and David Lukáč a fourth early in the second half. Hockey for all won their fifth game in a row and kept a clean sheet for the third time this season.

The biggest surprise of the round was Ľadoborci's 2:0 win over TJ Družstevník Petržalka. A week earlier Ľadoborci had lost 0:10 to Admirals; this time they held on to the lead from Juraj Filo's 4th-minute goal, and Richard Rešetka sealed the win five seconds before the end. TJ Družstevník lost for the first time this season and remain second in Group A.

Ice Punkers turned their game against Márna Snaha around in the last 88 seconds. Lukáš Skalík gave them the lead in the 6th minute, but in the second half Márna Snaha went 2:1 up through Tomáš Bambušek on the power play and Peter Illéš. Andrej Duda then equalised and 23 seconds later put Ice Punkers ahead, and Ivan Fedor added an empty-net goal seven seconds before the end – 2:4.

Knights finally got their first win, beating Pressburg Reapers 4:2. Samuel Androvic and Roman Svec put them 2:0 up, Reapers levelled through Dalibor Rakoczy and Ivan Šeba, but Jan Mudrak restored the Knights' lead 71 seconds later and Androvic sealed the result in the 39th minute. Androvic had 2+1.

Royals beat HC Vikings Petržalka 4:3 – they led 2:0 after the first half through Adam Jamrich and Michal Brhel, and Vikings won the second half 3:2. Matej Buřil and Andrej Brondoš also scored for Royals, Jakub Conka twice and Denis Chropovský once for Vikings. HC Lev Senec beat HC Bratislava Black Wings 2:1 – Igor Podmanický scored in the 4th minute, Matej Černy on the power play in the 37th, and Black Wings only replied through Robert Zelner. AHC Pezinok Grapes beat Beers 5:1; they were already 4:0 up in the first half and Michal Hupka scored twice.

HC Lev Senec – Admirals (round 1). Photo: RAHL

Round 7 in brief. Admirals crushed Ľadoborci 10:0, Peter Oravec had 2+2. Rockets beat HC Bratislava Black Wings 5:3, Peter Demeter sealing the win 17 seconds before the end. TJ Družstevník Petržalka won 7:1 against Pressburg Reapers (Lukáš Bučko 2+1), Hockey for all 4:1 against Márna Snaha and Alpha Hockey Team 5:1 against Knights – Luboš Dubovec set up three goals and became the Superfanúšik Player of Round 7. Ice Punkers beat AHC Pezinok Grapes 6:3, Beers won 3:2 against HC Vikings Petržalka and HC Lev Senec 1:0 against Royals.

Group A. Admirals lead with 16 points from eight wins. Their 48:5 goal difference means the best attack and the best defence in the group – five goals conceded in eight games is the fewest in the whole league. TJ Družstevník Petržalka are second with 13 points, Royals and Ice Punkers have eight points each. Beers have five points, Alpha Hockey Team four, Knights three after their first win and HC Vikings Petržalka two.

Group B. Hockey for all lead with 14 points ahead of Rockets and HC Lev Senec, who have 13 points each. Senec have conceded only seven goals in eight games, the fewest in the group. HC Bratislava Black Wings and AHC Pezinok Grapes have ten points each, Ľadoborci five, Márna Snaha three and Pressburg Reapers one.

Rockets – HC Vikings Petržalka (round 1). Photo: RAHL

Highlights. Round eight produced 42 goals, the fewest since round 4 (38). Admirals scored 17 goals in rounds 7 and 8 combined and conceded just one. After eight rounds, only Pressburg Reapers and HC Vikings Petržalka are still without a win.

The points standings are led by Peter Demeter of Rockets with 17 points (9+8) from seven games; with nine goals he is also the league's top scorer. Second is his teammate Matej Murcko with 14 points (6+8) from five games, while Patrik Bučič of Admirals (6+7) and Andrej Štefko of Rockets (2+11) have 13 points each. Five of the eight players with at least 12 points play for Rockets.

Round 9 – Saturday, 31 October:
8:30 Alpha Hockey Team – TJ Družstevník Petržalka
9:45 Knights – Márna Snaha
11:00 HC Lev Senec – Beers
12:15 Royals – Rockets
13:30 AHC Pezinok Grapes – Hockey for all
14:45 Ice Punkers – HC Vikings Petržalka
Sunday, 1 November:
13:30 Ľadoborci – Pressburg Reapers
14:45 HC Bratislava Black Wings – Admirals

Voting for the Superfanúšik Player of Round 8 is open until Saturday, 31 October at 8:30 on the Player of the Round page.