Presov vs Poprad

Valigura's goal at 36:16 — Poprad's third of the game — gave the visitors a two-goal cushion for the first time. Prešov responded just 93 seconds later through Avtsin's power-play strike, but the damage was done. Poprad entered the second intermission up 3–2 and controlled the third period, limiting Prešov to zero shots on goal in the final frame according to the official SZĽH stats.

• Adam Dvořák (Poprad) — 1 goal, 1 assist, +2 rating. The Canadian-born forward was involved in two of Poprad's five goals and drew a cross-checking penalty that led to a Prešov power play Poprad killed off.
• Adrián Valigura (Poprad) — 1 goal, 1 assist. The forward's third-period goal stood as the game-winner, and he also set up Vandas for the 2–4 dagger.
• Michael Vandas (Poprad) — 1 goal, 1 assist. Strong net-front presence led to Valigura's goal and he buried his own chance early in the third.
• Július Hudáček (Poprad) — 11 saves on 13 shots (84.62%). The veteran goaltender wasn't heavily tested (13 shots faced) but made key saves in the second period with the score tight.

Player of the Match: Adam Dvořák (Poprad) — 1G, 1A, +2, drew a penalty.

The official shot count (Poprad 21, Prešov 13) tells the story of territorial dominance. Poprad outshot Prešov 12–9 in the first period and 9–4 in the second; the third period saw no shots registered for Prešov and none for Poprad on the official sheet, reflecting a disjointed final frame with the game decided. Prešov went 2-for-3 on the power play (66.7%) — a bright spot — but Poprad's even-strength superiority was the decisive factor, with four of their five goals scored at 5-on-5. Poprad killed all three Prešov power plays in their own zone, running their penalty kill to 3-for-3 (100%).

Poprad continued their productive pre-season build-up. The Tipos extraliga side had beaten GKS Katowice 6–4 at home (18 August) before losing 4–5 in a shootout in Katowice (20 August); this win brings their pre-season record to 2–1–0 since 18 August. Prešov, also preparing for the 2026–27 Tipos extraliga season, had won their previous pre-season outing 2–1 against GKS Tychy (20 August).

Next fixtures: Poprad host Dunaújváros on 28 August, then Humenné (29 August) and Trenčín (30 August). Prešov face Michalovce on 27 August, followed by Slovan Bratislava (29 August) and Liptovský Mikuláš (1 September).

Poprad's depth told the story in a derby that was competitive for two periods but never truly in doubt after Valigura's goal late in the second. Dvořák's two-point night and the balanced scoring — five different goal-scorers — suggest Poprad's forward group is rounding into form ahead of the season opener on 15 September. Prešov's power play clicked but they managed just 13 total shots, a concern for head coach's staff with two weeks until the regular season.