SK Slavia Prague and TJ Plzeň Litice won the women’s and men’s Czechia national titles last weekend, respectively, to both quality for next season’s Euro Hockey League.
For Slavia’s women, they won an epic final against HC Rakovnik 1972 after normal time ended 4-4, taking the title on a shoot-out.
They had to fightback the hard way having trailed 3-1 and 4-2 before Natalia Novaková levelled the game with nine minutes to go.
In the shoot-out, Linda Nová found the net with the only successful effort to win the tie outright 1-0.
Before that, doubles from Veronika Příbíkova and Anna Vorlova lifted Rakonik into a great position three minutes into the second half.
Slavia, though, kept fighting back with Lucia Nová, Natalia Hájková, Kateřina Horeškovská and Nováková’s goals getting them level.
It means they will make history next Easter when they become Czechia’s first club to play in the women’s EHL FINAL12.
In the men’s decider, TJ Plzeň Litice retained the title in another shoot-out, recording a first defeat of the season for Slavia Prague who had won the regular season with a perfect run of 14 wins out of 14.
Normal time ended 0-0 with numerous corners going incomplete during the regular period of the match.
There, Plzeň built a 2-0 lead in the first two rounds with Adam Uhlir’s penalty stroke and Eduard Gerlicky’s calm backhand finish from the top of the circle making the difference.
After that, Tomas Nečas was unbeaten in all four shoot-outs he faced, giving his side glory once again and a place in October’s EHL Men’s KO16.
