BRATISLAVA CAPITALS MAKE A STATEMENT IN EUCHL DEBUT, DEFEAT ŁÓDŹ LEGION 7–2

The VSM Bratislava Capitals opened the inaugural European Union College Hockey League (EUCHL) regular season in emphatic fashion Saturday night, defeating Łódź Legion HC 7–2 on the road in the league's first regular-season game.

Bratislava overwhelmed the hosts offensively, recording 54 shots on goal compared with 30 for Łódź. After a competitive opening period, the Capitals took control in the second before delivering a three-goal third period to secure the victory.

The win gave Bratislava an ideal start to its first season representing VSM Bratislava and City University of Seattle in the newly established university-based league.

CAPITALS FIND ANOTHER GEAR AFTER FIRST PERIOD

Łódź opened the scoring at 3:18 of the first period when Marko Kozak finished a play assisted by Korbin Krauskopf and Noah Geggie.

The Capitals answered on the power play at 14:38. Alexander McIntosh converted with Matthew Mirda and Ignac Bene earning the assists, tying the game at 1–1 heading into the first intermission.

The second period proved decisive as Bratislava began to establish control.

McIntosh scored his second goal of the night at 16:22, finishing a shorthanded opportunity to give the Capitals the lead. Ryan Hayes extended the advantage on the power play at 10:26, with Mirda and Bene collecting assists.

Ignac Bene added another goal at 10:05, finishing a play set up by McIntosh and Tommy Jacques to make it 4–1.

Łódź responded on the power play at 15:19 through Soren Nicol, assisted by Yahor Zenkov, but the Capitals carried a 4–2 advantage into the third period.

THIRD-PERIOD SURGE PUTS THE GAME AWAY

Bratislava left little doubt about the outcome in the final period, scoring three unanswered goals.

Tommy Jacques opened the third-period scoring at 7:02, assisted by McIntosh and Bene. Matias Baumann added a power-play goal at 4:18, with Tate Warwarick and Hayes recording assists.

Hayes then completed the scoring at 3:39 with his second goal of the game, assisted by Jacques, sealing the 7–2 victory.

The Capitals' ability to generate offense at even strength, on the power play and while shorthanded demonstrated the range of their attacking threat in the season opener.

McINTOSH AND HAYES LEAD THE ATTACK

McIntosh and Hayes each recorded two goals to lead Bratislava's offensive production. McIntosh also contributed two assists, while Bene finished with a goal and two assists.

Jacques added a goal and an assist, and Mirda recorded two assists. Baumann and Hayes also contributed power-play production as Bratislava capitalized on its special-teams opportunities.

In goal, the Capitals used both Marcus Gomes and Glen McInnes. Gomes stopped 16 of 18 shots in 30:55 of action, while McInnes stopped all 12 shots he faced in 29:05. Together, they helped limit Łódź to two goals.

For the hosts, goaltender Cole Stevens made 46 saves on 53 shots despite the loss.

A STRONG START TO A HISTORIC SEASON

The result marks an important opening milestone for the Bratislava Capitals as the EUCHL begins its first regular-season campaign. The league brings together university-based programs with the objective of combining competitive hockey and higher education while creating new opportunities for European and North American student-athletes.

For Bratislava, the opening-night performance provides an encouraging foundation as the team begins its pursuit of the inaugural EUCHL championship.

The Capitals return to league competition looking to build on a performance that featured seven goals, a 24-shot advantage and a strong finish on the road.

Final Score: VSM Bratislava Capitals 7, Łódź Legion HC 2

Shots on Goal: Bratislava 54, Łódź 30

Scoring Leaders — Bratislava:

• Alexander McIntosh — 2 goals, 2 assists

• Ryan Hayes — 2 goals, 1 assist

• Ignac Bene — 1 goal, 2 assists

• Tommy Jacques — 1 goal, 1 assist

• Matias Baumann — 1 goal

Next Up: The EUCHL inaugural season continues as the founding programs begin their campaigns toward the league's first championship.

ABOUT THE EUCHL

The European Union College Hockey League (EUCHL) is an international university-based hockey league dedicated to combining competitive ice hockey with higher education. Through its member programs and university partnerships, the league aims to expand opportunities for student-athletes while supporting the growth of college hockey throughout Europe.

For more information, visit www.euchl.com.