We kicked off the play-offs with a confident victory against FTC-Telekom

On Saturday evening, we kicked off our campaign in the Andersen League play-offs: we took to the ice at FTC-Telekom’s home ground for the first match of the quarter-final tie. It became clear right from the start that the play-offs bring a completely different rhythm and intensity, as the match turned out to be a tough, tense and fast-paced affair from the very first minute. We eventually won the hard-fought clash 7–3, giving us the advantage in the best-of-three series. The next match takes place on Friday at the Győr University Ice Sports Centre.

First period

From the very first minute, it was clear that this was no ordinary match. We put the Ferencváros goal under intense pressure; the home side were only able to pose a threat occasionally, mainly on the counter-attack. We were solid in defence, so it took a long time for a goal to be scored; we had to wait nearly twelve minutes for the first goal.

It was then that Martin Sipák took a shot from an almost impossibly acute angle and, with a brilliant piece of skill, put us in the lead. That remained the only goal of the first period, but judging by the run of play, we ended the period with a fully deserved lead.

Second period

The second half proved to be a much more evenly matched contest. Both sides had some clear-cut chances, and the goalkeepers and defences were kept thoroughly busy. The goals eventually came from set-pieces.

In the 28th minute, we gained a man advantage, and we managed to capitalise on this through Márk Almási, extending our lead to two goals. Shortly afterwards, however, we found ourselves a man down, and Ferencváros took full advantage: Rácz found the net, bringing the home side back into the match. The score remained unchanged for the rest of the period, so we went into the decisive final twenty minutes with a one-goal lead.

Third period

The start of the final period went better for us, as Martin Sági extended our lead to two goals right in the second minute. It looked as though we’d managed to put ourselves in an even better position, but less than a minute later a strange incident caused a stir: following a period of confusion, our goalpost shifted, and Farkas, which the referees ruled a valid goal.

However, this interlude did not dampen the team’s momentum. In fact, we responded to it particularly well. Our experienced player, Márk Nagy, who was returning for the play-offs, scored at the end of a spectacular solo run, and shortly afterwards Benedek Horváth and Benedek Madácsi also found the net. That effectively sealed the match for us.

We didn’t let up even in the final minutes: Bence Dézsi intercepted the puck whilst we were a man down and successfully saw the move through to the end. Although the home side scored once more through Illés, this merely set the final score.

Overview

We played a hard-fought, genuine play-off match, in which Ferencváros played with great determination throughout, but we managed to wear our opponents down by the third period. We were effective in attack and reacted well to the twists and turns of the match at crucial moments. With this 7–3 victory, we’ve secured our first win in the tie, so we could even wrap up the quarter-final at home on Friday.

FTC-Telekom v UNI GYŐR ETO HC: 3–7 (0–1, 1–2, 2–5) – Andersen League quarter-final – 7 March 2026

Goalscorers: #7 Martin Sipák, #59 Márk Almási, #9 Martin Sági, #68 Márk Nagy, #2 Benedek Horváth, #18 Benedek Madácsi, #51 Bence Dézsi (UNI GYŐR ETO HC) #45 Rácz, #25 Farkas, #71 Illés (FTC-Telekom)