DRFG Arena will be rocking on Saturday and Sunday when the Kometa continue their quarterfinal series with Vitkovice. Games start at 5 p.m. both days. Photo: Vendulkaaaa [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Brno, March 14 (BD) — Zbrojovka struggles and drops into relegation zone; mmcité+ Brno limps home from Prague; KP Brno hosts Žabiny Brno in rivalry game on Saturday; Lokomotiva restarts season against Slavia; and the Brno sports schedule.
Despite being dragged into extra time, HC Kometa Brno took Game 1 of their Tipsport extraliga quarterfinal series with a 3-2 victory at HC Vítkovice Ridera on Tuesday.
The two teams will play again tonight (Wednesday) on national television. The puck drops at 6:20 p.m.
The series returns to Brno on Saturday (5 p.m. start on television) and Sunday (5 p.m. start).
In Game 1, Marcel Haščák placed a perfect shot over the left shoulder of the Vítkovice goaltender to give Brno the early series lead in the 71st minute of the game. It was basically the same shot that Vítkovice had used to extend the game with 14 seconds left in regulation.
The three Brno goals — and, obviously, the victory — were important steps forward because defending-champion Kometa had had trouble at Vítkovice this season, having been shutout twice by scores of 0-1 and 0-2.
Vítkovice got on the scoreboard quickly on Tuesday, scoring in the third minute, much to the delight of most of the 9,028 fans in attendance. Then Brno’s Hynek Zohorna scored in the 11th minute to tie up the game and again in the second period to give Kometa the lead in the 34th minute.
Last year, Kometa caught fire in the quarterfinals and beat Sparta Praha in four games. They got past Mountfield HK in six semifinal games and then swept Liberec in the finals. It was a magical month that got better with every exciting game and ended with Kometa’s first title since 1966 and their 12th title overall.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Takes Backward Step
Mladá Boleslav scored in the second, 19th and 30th minutes to shock the 4,122 fans who came out to support Zbrojovka on Saturday in hopes that the team had finally built some positive momentum. Brno was unable to respond, lost 0-3 and dropped into the relegation zone of the HET Liga standings.
Zbojovka tied Sparta Praha in Prague, 1-1, on March 4 and beat second-place Olomouc on Feb. 24. They seemed to be playing better, and their big wintertime addition, Konstantin Bazeljuk, was slated to make his first start against Mladá Boleslav.
Yet, after the loss, Zbrojovka is now 15th in the 16-team league with a record of 5-4-11 and 19 points through 20 games. The next six teams in the standings are within three points, but momentum will be hard to regain because the next game is Friday at fourth-place FC Slovan Liberec at 8:15 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
mmcité+ Brno Looks to Rebound from Loss in Prague
mmcité+ Brno played away in Prague on Saturday, and simply looking at the statistics is quite revealing.
First, they lost, 76-49, at USK Praha.
Second, Prague went to the free throw line 27 times; Brno, which rarely has foul trouble, took only nine free throws.
Third, Brno was 17 of 37 from 2-point range but 3 of 16 from 3-point range.
Fourth, Brno was outrebound 44-21, including 14-5 in offensive rebouds.
“There is not a lot to say,” said head coach Dejan Jakara. “USK was better in many aspects of the game.”
“Throughout the game we were everywhere two or three steps later than we should have been,” Brno point guard Jan Kozina added.
Canyon Barry had his regular game, leading the team with 20 points.
mmcité+ Brno, which is handicapped by the loss of Radek Pumprla (injured) and Kevin Mays (problems with his visa), has been held below 50 points three other times: 46 at home against SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem on national television on Dec. 18; 49 at home against ČEZ Basketball Nymburk on Jan. 27; and 47 at BK Opava on Feb. 3.
Brno hosts SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem tonight at 8 p.m.
mmcité+ Brno is playing in Group A2 of the Kooperative NBL. Brno (7-18) will play home and away games with SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem (13-12), BC GEOSAN Kolín (11-14), USK Praha (11-14), NH Ostrava (9-16) and Fio banka Jindřichův Hradec (1-24). In early April, two of the teams will rejoin the top half of the league for the Play-Offs. The bottom four teams will move into the Play-Out Bracket; the last-place team from the Play-Out Bracket will play the top two teams of the lower league to retain the right to stay in the Kooperativa NBL next season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Brno Rivals Meet Again in ZBL Regular Season Finale
The ZBL regular season finishes with the flourish of a big rivalry game: KP Brno will host Žabiny Brno on Saturday at 5 p.m.
The two teams have met many times over the years, most recently at the Final Four of the Czech Cup two weeks ago when KP Brno dominated their semifinal and went on to win the title for the first time in its history. This is the rematch.
KP Brno (15-5), which is in third place in the league standings, beat Loko Trutnov, 80-58, last week. They travel to second-place DSK Basketball Nymburk (18-2) on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game.
Žabiny Brno (21-7) beat Loko Trutnov, 74-50, and SBŠ Ostrava 44-85 last week. They have only KP Brno left on their schedule.
Both KP Brno and Žabiny Brno are guaranteed to move into the Playoff Bracket as one of the top eight teams in the league.
Technic Brno (2-18) will drop into the Playout Bracket where they will fight for the right to stay in the ZBL next year. They host undefeated ZVVZ USK Praha (20-0) tonight at 7 p.m. and finish at BA K. Vary on Saturday 5 p.m.
Both the Playoff and Playout Brackets will have games between March 21 and May 6.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Lokomotiva Resumes Fight To Stay in Top League
Lokomotiva Brno Horni Herspice starts the spring portion of the top women’s league when they host SK Slavia Praha in a matinee this afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
Slavia will be a tough matchup with which to resume the season because it is atop the league standings with 10 wins and a tie from 11 games.
Brno (2-2-7, eight points) is in seventh place in the eight-team league, behind fifth-place FC Slovan Liberec (2-3-6, nine points) and sixth-place FK Dukla Praha (2-3-6, nine points) and ahead of last-place FC Hradec Králové (2-1-8, seven points).
Brno will travel to fourth-place FC Viktoria Plzeň on Saturday to play at noon. Plzeň has a 3-1-7 record and 10 points.
The Brno offense will be a key. It has scored 14 goals this season, more than all but the top three teams in the league.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: Loko Trutnov 50, Žabiny Brno 74
Friday, March 9, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno 80, Loko Trutnov 58
Saturday, March 10, 2018
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno 0, Mladá Boleslav 3
— Women’s Basketball: DSK Basketball Nymburk 114, Technic Brno 76
— Women’s Basketball: SBŠ Ostrava 44, Žabiny Brno 85
— Men’s Basketball: USK Praha 76, mmcité+ Brno 49
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Tuesday, March 13, 2018
— Men’s Hockey, Quarterfinal Game 1: Vítkovice 2, Kometa 3 (extra time)
BRNO SPORTS SCHEDULE
The schedule for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the next two weeks. All dates and times subject to change. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: Technic Brno X ZVVZ USK Praha, 7 p.m.
— Men’s Basketball: SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem X mmcité+ Brno, 8 p.m.
— Men’s Hockey, Quarterfinal Game 2: Vítkovice X Kometa, 6:20 (TV)
— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H. H. X SK Slavia Praha, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: DSK Basketball Nymburk X KP Brno, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 16, 2018
— Men’s Football: Liberec X Zbrojovka Brno, 8:15 p.m.
Saturday, March 17, 2018
— Running: 73rd running of Beh Luzankami, 6.4K for women, 8km for men (Click here for information in English.)
— Women’s Football: FC Viktoria Plzeň X Lokomotiva Brno H. H., Noon
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X Žabiny Brno, 5 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: BA K. Vary X Technic Brno, 5 p.m.
— Men’s Basketball: mmcité+ Brno X GEOSAN Kolín, 7:30 p.m.
— Men’s Hockey, Quarterfinal Game 3: Kometa X Vítkovice, 5 p.m. (TV)
Sunday, March 18, 2018
— Men’s Hockey, Quarterfinal Game 4: Kometa X Vítkovice, 5 p.m.
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Wednesday, March 21, 2018
— Men’s Basketball: mmcité+ Brno X NH Ostrava, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
— Men’s Basketball: Fio banka J. Hradec X mmcité+ Brno, 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
— Running: BBP 10 – Brněnská přehrada
The Brno Sports Report is published every Wednesday. All dates and times are subject to change. Most of the stories are about the traditional “English-speaking” team sports — football, hockey, baseball, basketball, American football, rugby, etc. — but it is also about the interesting local spectator and participation sports — tennis, badminton, running, horse racing, swimming, rock climbing, biking, etc. If you have any suggestions for what should be included, please comment below or send an email to brnosports@gmail.com.
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