Expect traffic and crowds around DRFG Arena today and Thursday: Kometa are in the playoffs. Photo: Vendulkaaaa (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
Brno, Apr 4 (BD) — KP Brno eliminates Žabiny Brno, advances to semifinals; Zbrojovka settles for scoreless tie with Karvina; mmcité+ Brno reaches end of Group A2, Play Out bracket next; Draci and Hrosi win twice on Baseball’s Opening Weekend; and the Brno sports schedule.
HC Kometa continued their dominance of postseason play by outplaying Plzeň over the weekend and they will take the ice at DFRG Arena with a 2-0 lead tonight (Wednesday).
Kometa won Game 1 on Saturday, 2-3. Then they blew open Game 2 on Sunday with three third-period goals en route to a 1-4 victory.
Game 3 starts this evening at 6:30 p.m. Game 4 is tomorrow (Thursday) at 5 p.m.
Last year, Brno was 12-2 while catching fire in the postseason and winning their 12th title. This year, the defending champions swept HC Vítkovice Ridera in the quarterfinals. All told, including their two wins against Plzeň (which dominated the regular season this year), Kometa is 18-2 in their past 20 postseason games.
Goalkeeper Marek Ciliak has played a steadfast role. He had 30 saves in Game 1 and another 26 saves in Game 2.
“Čáry Máry Marek Ciliak” — or “Hocus Pocus” in English — is the way that Czech TV commentator Robert Zaruba responded to a particularly athletic display where Ciliak stopped the two quick shots in with his leg pads in Game 2.
In Game 1, Kometa, which had been off for 13 days, scored goals in each of the first two periods to take a lead they would not relinquish.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
KP Brno Advances to Semifinals
KP Brno let its guard down in the final minutes of Game 1, but otherwise maintained overall control of its quarterfinal series against Žabiny Brno to advance with a three games to one series victory.
KP Brno advances to the semifinals to play DSK Basketball Nymburk, which swept Slovanka MB. Game 1 is at DSK Basketball Nymburk tonight (Wednesday) at 7 p.m.
DSK Basketball Nymburk (21-4) finished second in the regular season, just ahead of KP Brno (20-6). The teams split their two meetings during the regular season: Nymburk came to Brno on Nov. 25 and won, 74-80, then Brno went to Nymburk on March 15 to win, 64-78.
KP Brno is 14-1, including winning the Czech Cup, in its last 15 games.
Game 2 will be in Kralove Pole on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The quarterfinal series against Žabiny Brno was full of passion, but KP Brno proved to have more staying power. The final game was Thursday when KP Brno played sealed the series with a 61-70 victory. KP Brno extended its record to 6-1 in the crosstown rivalry for this season.
KP Brno’s Edita Šujanová was the leading scorer in the series, with 18, 16, 16 and 20 points in the four games.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Can’t Score Against Karviná, Slavia Next
Despite hitting the goal structure several times — including twice during the same sequence — FC Zbrojovka Brno was unable to earn a victory against Karviná on Saturday and the scoreless tie kept Zbrojovka in the relegation zone.
“We were able to play actively,” said Brno head coach Roman Pivarník. “We did not leave Karvina much in the game. We had a lot of centers in front of the goal. You cannot blame our team. (Their effort) was appreciated by fans. It’s a shame we did not give at least one goal.”
Zbrojovka was clearly the more active team throughout the game, often putting up long-range shots that, although they didn’t connect, maintained momentum, including when Rafael Acosta, in the first half, slammed a ball off the cross bar.
Then, early in the second half, Martin Juhar put a long pass into the center, Martin Zikl headed it off the crossbar and Michal Škoda headed the rebound off of the far post.
“Unfortunately, we ended up failing and sometimes lacking the luck to push the ball into the goal,” Pivarník said.
Zbrojovka is now 5-5-12 with 20 points through 22 games. In the spring, they are 1-2-3, with their only goals in the 1-0 home win over Olomouc and the 1-1 tie at Sparta.
“I have to admit that two goals in the six spring matches are too few,” Pivarník said. “This problem has been here all year. The statistics of our offensive players are miserable. But we have young players who are improving.”
Second-place Slavia Praha is next on the schedule this Saturday; the home game starts at 1 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
No Luck on Wednesdays for mmcité+ Brno
For the second Wednesday in a row, mmcité+ Brno went into overtime at home only to lose by a point:
this past Wednesday they lost to USK Praha, 84-85, and, on March 21, they lost to NH Ostrava, 75-76.
Saturday’s game was less dramatic, with mmcité+ Brno falling, 91-58, at SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem.
Brno plays at GEOSAN Kolín today (Wednesday) in the final game of Group A2.
Brno finished the regular season with a record of 6-16. They have gone 3-6 through the first nine games of Group A2.
The one-point overtime losses would have gone a long way to building confidence, if only through the standings. Regardless, Brno’s season will continue in the Play Out Bracket where they will play against the other bottom teams in home and away games. The last-place team will be forced to defend its right to play next season in the Kooperativa NBL against the top two teams of the lower league.
BASEBALL
Draci, Hrosi Start Season with Two Wins
Defending champion Draci Brno started the Extraliga season last Friday night with solid pitching and strong offense when it beat Olympia Blansko, 9-0. The following day, Draci beat Blansko again, 4-1, in a rain-shortened game.
In an Opening Weekend derby, Cardion Hroši Brno beat Technika Brno 3-2 on Saturday and then 1-15 on Sunday.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
— Men’s Basketball: mmcité+ Brno 84, USK Praha 85 (overtime)
Thursday, March 29, 2018
— Women’s Basketball, Quarterfinal Game 4: Žabiny Brno 61, KP Brno 70
Friday, March 30, 2018
— Baseball: Draci Brno 9, Olympia Blansko 0
Saturday, March 31, 2018
— Baseball: Cardion Hroši Brno 3, Technika Brno 2
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno 0, Karviná 0
— Hockey, Semifinal Game 1: Plzeň 2, Kometa 3
— Men’s Basketball: SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem 91, mmcité+ Brno 58
— Baseball: Olympia Blansko 1, Draci Brno 4
Sunday, April 1, 2018
— Baseball: Technika Brno 1, Cardion Hroši Brno 15
— Hockey, Semifinal Game 2: Plzeň 1, Kometa 4
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, April 4, 2018
— Men’s Basketball: GEOSAN Kolín X mmcité+ Brno, 6 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: Technic Brno X SBŠ Ostrava, 7 p.m.
— Hockey, Semifinal Game 3: Kometa X Plzeň, 7 p.m. (TV)
— Women’s Basketball: DSK Basketball Nymburk X KP Brno, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
— Hockey, Semifinal Game 4: Kometa X Plzeň, 5 p.m. (TV)
Friday, April 6, 2018
— Baseball: Draci Brno X Cardion Hroši Brno, MBS, 7 p.m.
— Baseball: Eagles Praha X Technika Brno, Krč, 7 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: U19 Chance X Technic Brno, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno X Slavia Praha, 1 p.m.
— Baseball: Cardion Hroši Brno X Draci Brno, Hroši, 2 p.m.
— Baseball: Technika Brno X Eagles Praha, Kraví hora, 2 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X DSK Basketball Nymburk, 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
— Baseball: Arrows Ostrava X Draci Brno, Arrows, 2 p.m.
— American Football: Brno Sígrs X Brno Alligators, at Ragby Bystrc, 2 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: Technic Brno X Loko Trutnov, 5 p.m.
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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