On March 3rd, an army of red and white students and fans alike, gathered inside the Tipsport arena for what promised to be an unforgettable ice hockey evening between four Prague’s biggest universities. The result was a night full of excitement, of beers and above all… of hardcore ice hockey!

Vaclav Hampl’s speech

The game, featuring Charles University (UK) on one side and the University of Economics (VSE) on the other, was one of high stakes since it would give rise to the first ever Prague Mayor’s Cup winner. This fact certainly didn’t go unnoticed. The proof was the presence of large supporter crowds wearing their university’s colors to show support for their respective teams.

As was the case in the semi-finals, the game was preceded by a speech given by the Rectors of both universities. The speeches mostly re volved around a common denominator, promoting fair play and hard work as important values in the game. Vaclav Hampl, UK’s Rector, ended his speech on a more serious note by countering President Klaus’ statements on student protest against the planned education reform. After all was said and done, the players took their positions and the final finally kicked off!

Let’s play!

The game was off to a surprisingly strong start as UK opened the score after just three minutes. For the remainder of the first period, the game was balanced until Hoffman scored and brought his team to 2:0 seconds before the buzz. Despite entering the ice with a renewed appetite to win, VSE didn’t manage to get a grip on its opponent during the beginning of the second half. Before long, UK managed to control the game once again and scored its third goal of the night through Hoffman. Looking at a goal difference of three, VSE’s chances of winning slimmed down significantly.

However, a surprising goal by Bláha for team VSE shortly revived their supporters’ hope. Those hopes were finally dashed when Kulich brought UK to a 4:1 lead. The third and final period remained tight and scoreless for a long time before Alexa sealed the deal in the fifty sixth minute with his second goal of the night. With the 5:1 final score on the board, UK fans cheered for their victorious team while VSE supporters graciously applauded their team’s efforts.

A night to remember

Overall, the first Mayor’s Cup didn’t disappoint. Not only did both teams fight hard for their cause, most importantly everyone enjoyed being part of this formidable sports event that kept all of its promises. Charles University’s Rector rightfully summed it up this way: “Astonishing game, amazing fair play, great enthusiasm.”