Both Hungarian teams shine in Tipsport Liga

BRATISLAVA - After a 10-day pause caused by the national team fixtures, the Slovak premier hockey league Tipsport Liga returns with attractive match-ups of the 48th round.

The most attention on Wednesday grabbed both the Hungarian teams that occupy the lower half of the Slovak league, Budapest and Miskolc.

The team from Hungary's capital managed to force overtime against the second-best squad of the league Bratislava and Miskolc defeated the third-ranked Kosice in regulation to move up one spot in the standings to eighth place.

The 30-years-old Canadian left-wing Kyle Beach led Miskolc to victory with two goals scored, one on a power play and one empty-netter, helping his team to a surprising win against the eight-time Tipsport Liga champion.

Kosice is now 6 points behind the leading Banska Bystrica and 3 behind Bratislava.

With both Bratislava and Ujbuda, a district of Budapest, scoring 2 goals in the second period and one in the third, the battle of these two had to be surprisingly decided in overtime.

After assisting on the first goal of the home team, Slovan's veteran defenseman Michal Sersen stole the spotlight, scoring the game-winner 4 minutes into OT on a fierce slapshot from below the blue line, only his fifth of the season.

Banska Bystrica Hockey Club, the reigning champion and leader of Tipsport Liga scored one early and one late goal to edge out the eleventh-ranked Nove Zamky 2-0 on their opponent's ice, strengthening the pole position in the league with the fourth consecutive victory.

Banska Bystrica's Canadian goalie Tyler Beskorowany earned his second shutout of the season with 16 saves.

Both fifth-ranked Zvolen and sixth-ranked Trencin put on a scoring show on Wednesday and climb up one spot in the league standings.

Zvolen triumphed in last-placed Liptovsky Mikulas 5-1 under Allan McPherson's leadership (2 goals and 1 assist), earning the sixth consecutive victory in the current season, and Trencin crushed the penultimate team of the league Detva 7-3.

The visiting team managed to answer Trencin's opening 2 goals and tie the game but the home scored four more, led by Boris Sadecky on his tremendous three-goal night.

Zvolen's goalie Tomas Tomek was close to his third shutout of the season, saving 23 shots and even defusing two penalty shots but Liptovsky Mikulas' players robbed him of the clean slate in the third period.

In the east of the country, in a close battle of two ranking neighbors, Nitra managed to overcome Michalovce 5-4 to fortify its seventh place in the league.

The visitors opened the score but had to rally in the second period after Michalovce took the 2-1 lead.

Patrick McNally scored the game-winner in the third period - his second powerplay goal of the night - to bring his team to the twentieth victory of the season.

Michalovce's third consecutive defeat saw them slip one position in the rankings to ninth.