KURBADS CONCLUDES A SERIES IN NARVA AND REACHES FINAL
Last weekend, HC Kurbads reached the final of the Estonian Coolbet Hockey League for the second year in a row, beating PSK Narva 3-0 in the semi-final series. The first games of the final series will take place next Saturday and Sunday, 1 and 2 April, at the Rumbula Ice Hall, and the club with three wins in a series will become the champion.
Kurbads left for Narva with two home wins – 8-3 and 8-2 and had only one away win to go to repeat last season’s success, that is, to reach the final. And the guests did it. The 4-2 victory secured a 3-0 series win.
The captain of Kurbads, Toms Hartmanis, opened the scoring in the first period, while Kaspars Saulietis stole the show, scoring twice in the second period, and Hartmanis scored one more goal. The home team also got to score, and after 40 minutes the guests led 4-1. In the third period, Narva’s players scored yet another goal and reduced the gap, though, could not get any closer to Kurbads.
The best player for Kurbads in this game went to goaltender Uldis Čalpa, who deflected 19 shots from the opponents. It was Čalpa’s first game of this semi-final series.
In the final, Kurbads will play Tallinn’s Panter, who in the semi-final beat the Estonian champions of the last four seasons, Tartu’s Valk 494, 3-1. Kurbads’ players met the Panter team four times during the regular season, winning all the games.
“I have to say that our performance was not that good, because the guys were already in the mood to win easily anyway. We should bring more quality to the game. That stage is done and we are in the final. We’ll see how Tallinn’s club played in the semi-final, because I am sure that our opponent will also study our semi-final games. We shall prepare to offer some surprise to the opponent. I think the final will bring a fast and interesting game. Tallinn’s team plays a physical game, they train hard, and I think this is the most interesting of all possible opponents for the spectators,” said Kurbads’ head coach Toms Bluks after getting in the finals.
Photo: Elis Kazimova
