English Custodes Won the ELL 2013 Tournament 1
2.9.2013
The new European Lacrosse League season started with its first tournament in Berlin this weekend. Six attractive and tight games were played at the Neukölln arena with the dramatic final game being resolved in penalty shots. Custodes were the luckier team at the end and gain 13 points for the overall standinds and a modest prize money of 3000 Czech korunas.
Deutschland Adler – Wolves 11:6 (2:1, 5:1, 4:4)
Home Deutschland Adler and Wolves Radotín opened the tournament programme in Saturday morning. The ELL 2012 Champion Adler had an excellent start and lead 7:2 after two periods. Their offensive force Plunkett, Došlý and Brandenburger were making troubles to inexperienced young Wolves defence each scoring two goals. Wolves suffered from ineffective shots and only in the last period they were equal opponent to the home team thanks to Jiří Loskot’s two goals.
Custodes – Pietro Filipi 7:5 (3:2, 3:0, 1:3)
Two new teams met in the second game, although the core of Custodes team played for Bison Radotín last year. Their rival, Pietro Filipi, were limited by the players shortage due to illness or other reasons. Despite this fact PF shown a brave performace. After tight first period Radek Skála scored three times and decided about Custodes victory. Pietro Filipi added two goals at the end of the game and set the final score to 5:7 – a succesfull result considering PF’s empty bench.
Wolves – Custodes 10:9 PS (2:4, 5:1, 2:4, 1:0)
Two teams lead by Radotín coaches matched in the third game: Custodes with Patrik Procházka and Wolves with Jiří Pechar. Custodes had better start and lead already 4:1 in the 12th minute after Jindřich Plecitý’s goal. Wolves youngters answered in the second period. They begun to score from their chances and turned the game to 7:5. In the last period Radek Skála scored three goals returning the lead to Custodes again, but then Emil Moravec, Wolves’s most experienced player scored twice in this up and down game. But Custodes Tomáš Procházka said the last word: he equalized 15 seconds before the whistle and postponed the decision about the winner to penalty shots. And he was the first successful executor in the first serie. Wolves Matěj Barák proved his skills when he scored in the third serie and equalized. Then his teammate Jiří Loskot was successful too, while Roman Seidl’s shot was stopped by Wolves goalie Jakub Mareš. Wolves gained valuable Custodes scalp.
Pietro Filipi – Deutschland Adler 7:9 (3:1, 1:3, 3:5)
Pietro Filipi played Deutchland Adler in the last game of Saturday programme and despite the expectations they started better. Klaus Hauer and Sean Gibson were PF top scorers setting the lead 4:1 in the 17th minute. Five minutes before the whistle PF were still in lead 7:5 but final Adler’s pressure againts the exhausted opponent was heavy and Jamie Plunkett with Pavel Došlý scored four goals and turned the game over.
Wolves Radotín – Pietro Filipi 6:8 (3:2, 1:3, 2:3)
Sunday programme consisted of two games. Wolves matched Pietro Filipi in the first one. Wolves prevailed in the first period winning 3:2, but in the rest of the game they were one step late. Again they were not scoring from clear chances and Tomáš Pelikán in the PF goal did a great job. Pietro Filipi players could teach Wolves the productivity. Their every attack was a threat. Sean Gibson starred and scored three goals in the last period deciding about the PF’s surprising success.
Deutschland Adler – Custodes 8:9 PS (2:0, 2:3, 4:5, 0:1)
The last game of the tournament was the real highlight of the weekend. Custodes had to gain 4 points from the game to win the first tournament, so they could had afford only one lost period. Jamie Plunkett made this happen with his two goals immediatelly in the first 15 minutes. But Custodes improved in remaining two periods and won each of them with one goal difference. Both team played great, dynamic lacrosse of the top European standard. The game was dramatic to the very end. Tomáš Procházka‘s accurate outside shot meant Custodes lead in the last minute. But Adler have not given up and after time-out played perfect 6 on 5 combination and Christian Schröder equalized, so the match had to be resolved in penalty shots. Petr Poupě scored the winning goal in the third serie and thus Custodes won the ELL Tournament 1.
Standings after Tournament 1
1. Custodes 13 b.
2. Deutschland Adler 11.5 b.
3. Pietro Filipi 7 b.
4. Wolves 4.5 b.
You can check detailed game stats here and watch videos of all games at www.net-tv.cz.
The ELL Tournament 2 is held on September 21–22, 2013 in Prague-Radotín
See the photogallery here.
by Jan Barák and Ondřej Mika
Author: Ondřej Mika | Section: 2013 | Print | Send article to friend
