HC Prešov pushed visiting Vlci Žilina to a tense penalty shootout before falling 3-2 in the 14th round of the Tipos Extraliga, extending their season-opening winless streak, Sportnet reported. Šimon Petráš scored the decisive goal in the eighth round of the shootout at the Ice Arena Prešov, securing the extra point for Žilina after a dramatic 2-2 deadlock through regulation and three-on-three overtime.

Early Prešov Dominance Falls Short

Prešov seized control early when Canadian forward Jari-Leon Keltie Miguel broke away on a two-on-one rush in the 7th minute, opting to shoot from the right wing to beat goaltender Andrej Košarišťan for a 1-0 lead, with Darren Archibald picking up the assist. Archibald doubled the home side’s advantage at 29:15, capitalizing on a power play with a sharp wrist shot from the right side off feeds from Gemel Smith and Davis Pennington. Despite holding a 2-0 cushion, Prešov could not withstand Žilina’s middle-frame surge as the visitors capitalized on defensive lapses in the back half of the second period.

Žilina Rally Evens the Score

Vlci Žilina cut the deficit in half at 32:04 when defenseman František Gajdoš fired a precise shot from the slot past goaltender Samuel Vyletelka for his first goal in a Žilina sweater, assisted by Tomáš Török and Kamil Walega. Just 51 seconds later at 34:24, Walega found a loose puck near the right circle and nudged it into an open cage to level the score at 2-2, with Török and Kirill Diakov earning the helpers.

Petráš Settles Shootout to Move Žilina up Standings

Vyletelka turned away a barrage of shots to keep Prešov alive, while Košarišťan made a spectacular glove save in the final minute of extra time to deny Prešov defenseman Nerijus Ališauskas a potential game-winner. In the subsequent shootout, neither side could find an edge through the first seven rounds until Petráš converted his second attempt of the shootout in the eighth round to settle the contest. Hokejportal reported that the victory moves Žilina level with Slovan Bratislava on 27 points, just one point behind league leaders HC 21 Prešov’s regional rivals, HK Poprad.

Prešov Remains Winless After 14 Rounds of Play

The narrow defeat leaves Prešov anchored to the bottom of the Tipos Extraliga standings. While they secured their fourth point of the campaign by pushing the match past regulation, they remain winless through 14 rounds of play. Žilina, meanwhile, defeated Prešov 3-2 after a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in regulation time.

Next Fixtures

HC Prešov returns to league action seeking their first victory, while Vlci Žilina continues its pursuit of league leaders Poprad in the upper tier of the Tipos Extraliga standings.