Teamwork has put the Šelmy at the top of the league standings. Photo credit: Viktor Šulc.
Brno, Jan 8 (BD) — HC Kometa continues earning points; mmcité1 Basket Brno playing well but drops another close one; Žabiny Brno win twice, KP Brno restarts tonight; and the Brno sports results and schedule.
VOLLEYBALL
Brno Teams Meet Saturday
The year 2020 did not start well for women’s volleyball in Brno because both teams lost on Saturday. This Saturday, however, at least one will win: VK Brno hosts Královo Pole in their crosstown rivalry. The game match starts at 6 p.m. Expect a packed house and a loud atmosphere.
The previous match between the teams was won by the Šelmy, three sets to one, on Nov. 2.
Last week, VK Brno went to Šternberk and lost, three sets to one. The team is still atop the Uniqua Extraliga Ženy standings with 43 points, but, when Královo Pole was swept at home by Olomouc, second-place Olomouc earned three points and moved closer with 41 points.
Volejbal Brno, the men’s team in town, is tied for third in the Uniqua Extraliga Muzi standings. The team resumes its season at Kladno on Monday in a match that will be nationally televised. Two days later, on Wednesday, Brno will host Liberec at 5 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
mmcité1 Loses Another at the Buzzer
mmcité1 Basket Brno had a chance in the final seconds, but fell at home against BK ARMEX Děčín on Saturday.
The Brno men’s basketball team has won three of its last five games. The two losses were close contests that, a bounce here and a bounce there, could have gone Brno’s way.
In any case, Brno (3-14) has five games left in the main part of the regular season and the team is likely to play in the Group A2, where there is the risk of relegation to a lower league.
This Saturday, Brno hosts ČEZ Basketball Nymburk, the unbeaten top team in the league, at 5 p.m.
Group A1, in which Brno played last season, is for the top eight teams in the league. They are all guaranteed another year in the top league. Group A2 is for the ninth-, 10th, 11th and 12th-place teams.
ICE HOCKEY
HC Kometa Continues Adding Points
HC Kometa has been on a roll. They have scored points in their previous six games and they are showing signs of building enough momentum to get them deep into the postseason.
After three victories at home, in which they outscored their opponents 17-5, the team lost 2-1 in extra time at Mountfield HK on Friday and at home, 2-3, after a shootout with PSG BErani
Zlín on Sunday. Despite the losses, they continued to earn points in the standings.
Importantly, Marek Čiliak, the goaltender from the back-to-back championship seasons, is back. Peter Meuller is also continuing his exemplary play. He had hat trick and three assists against Karlovy Vary during the three-game winning streak, and added another goal against Zlin.
Kometa, who are currently fourth in the Tipsport extraliga with 56 points, now have three road games: at HC Olomouc on Friday at 6 p.m.; at Bílí Tygři Liberec on Sunday at 4:20 p.m. (on CT Sport); and at Rytíři Kladno on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. The next home game is Jan. 19 against HC Škoda Plzeň at 3 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Žabiny Brno Welcome 2020 with Wins
Žabiny Brno got a quick start to the Renomia ŽBL when they traveled to sixth-place DSK Levhartice Chomutov and won, 58-80, on Friday. Last night, they beat Slovanka MB, 102-58, to advance into the Final Four of the Czech Cup.
Žabiny Brno (7-6 in the league) are fighting for the right to stay with the top teams in the league when, in late February, it will split into two groups. The top team, probably longtime dominant team USK Praha, is guaranteed the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Žabiny want to be in the top five so that they get into Group A to play home and away games against the other top teams.
Group B has a five-round system for the sixth-, seventh-, eighth-, ninth- and 10th-place teams to determine the teams that will stay in the top league; the bottom team will be relegated.
The No. 1 seed, the Group A teams and the top three teams from Group B will eventually be sorted into quarterfinal series as part of the playoffs.
Žabiny Brno has remaining league games against teams below them in the standings, including the next game against eighth-place Loko Trutnov (3-9) on Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. BLK Slavia Praha (7-5) will be another big opponent on Feb. 12.
This weekend, Žabiny will go to Liepaja, Latvia to play in the EWBL.
KP Brno (10-2) had a longer holiday break. They play a Czech Cup game against SBŠ Ostrava today at 7:15 p.m. On Saturday they host BK ST – U19 Chance on at 3:30 p.m. KP Brno looks like it will make Group A.
On Feb. 1, Žabiny Brno will play KP Brno in Královo Pole.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (where applicable).
Friday, Jan. 3, 2019
— Hockey: Mountfield HK 2, HC Kometa Brno 1, extra time
— Women’s Basketball: DSK Levhartice Chomutov 58, Žabiny Brno 80
Saturday, Jan. 4, 2019
— Women’s Volleyball: Šternberk 3, VK Brno 1
— Women’s Volleyball: Královo Pole 0, Olomouc 3
— Men’s Basketball: mmcité1 Basket Brno 79, BK ARMEX Děčín 82
Sunday, Jan. 5, 2019
— Men’s Basketball (Alpe Adria Cup): KD Hopsi Polzela X mmcité1 Basket Brno
— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno 2, PSG Berani Zlín 3, extra time shootout
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2019
— Women’s Basketball (Czech Cup): Žabiny Brno 102, Slovanka MB 58
BRNO SPORTS SCHEDULE
The schedule for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the next week. All dates and times subject to change. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2019
— Women’s Basketball (Czech Cup): SBŠ Ostrava X KP Brno, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10, 2019
— Hockey: HC Olomouc X HC Kometa Brno, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2019
— Women’s Volleyball: VK Brno X Královo Pole, 6 p.m.
— Men’s Basketball: ČEZ Basketball Nymburk X Basket Brno, 5 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X U19 Chance, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 12, 2019
— Hockey: Bílí Tygři Liberec X HC Kometa Brno, 4:20 (CT Sport)
Monday, Jan. 13, 2019
— Men’s Volleyball: Kladno X Brno, 7:30 p.m. (CT Sport)
The Brno Sports Report is published every Wednesday. All dates and times are subject to change. Most of the stories are about the traditional “English-speaking” team sports — football, hockey, baseball, basketball, American football, cricket, rugby, etc. — but it is also about the interesting local spectator and participation sports — tennis, badminton, running, horse racing, swimming, rock climbing, biking, etc. If you have any suggestions for what should be included, please comment below or send an email to bruno@brnodaily.cz.