Club Friendly· Season 2026
HK Dukla Michalovce beat HC Košice 4–2 in a pre-season friendly at STD Aréna in Vranov nad Topľou. Eduard Šimun scored one and assisted another as the home side rallied from 1–2 down.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Michalovce struck first through Ivan Matta, who opened the scoring at 2:44 of the first period with a finish set up by Eduard Šimun. The home side carried a 1–0 lead into the first intermission.
Košice responded emphatically early in the second period. Tomáš Jurčo — the Beijing Winter Olympics medallist — levelled at 28:52 on the power play, with Mislav Rosandič providing the assist. Just 92 seconds later, Tomáš Mikúš made it 2–1 to Košice, also on the power play, from a Simon Jellúš feed.
Michalovce hit back at 34:06 through Harrison Rees to level the scores at 2–2, then reclaimed the lead at 36:15 when Eduard Šimun scored on the power play, with Jacob Reid Virtanen and Lucas Edmonds picking up the assists. That 3–2 lead stood through the second period.
Neither side found the net in a tightly-contested third period until the dying seconds. With Košice goaltender Patrik Jurčák pulled for an extra attacker, Matthew Boucher sealed the win into an empty net at 59:41, making it 4–2.
The Turning Point
Košice had momentum after scoring two power-play goals in just over 90 seconds to flip a 1–0 deficit into a 2–1 lead. But Michalovce answered within four minutes — first through Rees at even strength, then Šimun with the man advantage — to swing the game back in their favour before the second intermission. Košice never led again.
Key Performers
- Eduard Šimun (Michalovce): A goal and an assist, including the power-play winner at 36:15. His one-timer from the slot proved decisive.
- Harrison Rees (Michalovce): Scored the crucial 2–2 equaliser at 34:06 that halted Košice's momentum.
- Matthew Boucher (Michalovce): The empty-net goal at 59:41 removed any late doubt.
- Tomáš Jurčo (Košice): The experienced forward opened his pre-season account with a power-play goal, showing his quality in tight spaces.
Player of the match: Eduard Šimun (Michalovce).
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The official match summary from HockeySlovakia shows Michalovce converted 1 of 6 power-play opportunities (16.67%), while Košice scored on 2 of 4 (50%). Despite the lower conversion rate, Michalovce generated more man-advantage time (9:50 to 5:29) and used the extra ice to tilt momentum after falling behind. The empty-net goal masked a tight third period in which Košice pressed for an equaliser but could not solve Michalovce's goaltender Tadeáš Buzák.
What It Means
The result is Michalovce's second victory of pre-season under head coach Jakub Ručkay. Košice, coming off a split in Hungary against Fehérvár, will look to refine their special teams after conceding a power-play goal that proved decisive. Both teams continue their pre-season programmes ahead of the Tipos Extraliga season start on 15 September 2026. Michalovce face further preparation fixtures, while Košice are scheduled for a tournament in Merano, Italy on 4 September.
Verdict
A competitive pre-season derby that tested both sides. Michalovce showed resilience by responding immediately after losing the lead, while Košice's power-play efficiency was a positive — but their discipline (four penalties) needs tightening before the regular season begins.
Match Events
Key match events between Michalovce and Kosice — 6 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
Power-play
Power-play
Power-play
Rivalry since 2021
Michalovce vs Kosice Head to Head Results· 50
Michalovce and Kosice have met 50 times — Michalovce won 21, Kosice won 29, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2021. Kosice leads the head-to-head with 29 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 237 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 4.74 per match (109 for the home side, 128 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 45 matches (90%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 48 games (96%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Kosice are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 2–7 in 2025.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 28 Aug 2026