Photo Caption: HC Kometa Brno begins its season this Friday when it hosts HC Oceláři Třinec. The game starts at 6 p.m. Photo Credit: HC Kometa / Ivo Dostál.
Brno, Sept. 16 (BD) — Draci play Friday for Czech Baseball Title; Hockey seasons opens Friday at DRFG Arena; Basket Brno opening-day victory tarnished by coronavirus; BCC Rangers face defending-champion PCC Kings in the cricket semifinals; Both women’s and men’s volleyball leagues start Saturday; Zbrojovka tries for first win against visiting Olomouc Sunday; Lokomotiva tops Pardubice for first win; Sígrs host Alligators Sunday at 6 p.m.; and the Brno sports schedule.
BASEBALL
Draci Play Friday for 22nd Title
After winning the first two games of the best-of-five Czech Series, the Draci Brno baseball team is one win away from its 22nd Czech Baseball Title. Game 3 will be Friday at 7 p.m. in South Brno.
Game 1, a 6-1 Draci victory, was a perfectly balanced game of offense and defense. Radim Chroust didn’t exactly establish himself when he gave up a run in the top of the first, but that was the only one in nine innings of three-hit work. The offense, on the other hand, scored four runs in the bottom of the first. Every Draci batter had at least one hit during the game. Six different players had one RBI.
Petr Cech was the star of the 4-6 Draci victory in Game 2. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. The Draci rallied from behind with two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings.
Ostrava is the two-time defending champion. They beat Brno in 2018. The Draci failed to make the Series last year and finished third.
If necessary, the Czech Series would continue with Game 4 in Ostrava on Saturday at 7 p.m. The title game would be Sunday in South Brno at 7 p.m.
MEN’S HOCKEY
Kometa Opens Season Friday
HC Kometa famously packs DRFG Arena for every game. That, unfortunately, is problematic when a virus, which still does not have a vaccine, is spreading around the country and the world.
Nevertheless, the show can go on, with safety measures in place.
Kometa hosts HC Oceláři Třinec on Friday. The game starts at 6 p.m. The Tipsport extraliga has 52 rounds, with each team playing each other team four times through the first week of March 2021.
Only 4,350 spectators will be able to attend Friday’s home game, which mostly covers season-ticket holders, both for sitting and standing. Government regulations also require a security corridor to separate the individual sectors, which will each be limited to 500 fans.
Former NHL stars Tomáš Plekanec and Martin Erat, and local favorite, goalkeeper Marek Čiliak, have left the team, but the core from last year has returned, including Peter Mueller and Petr Holík.
New faces include Ralfs Freibergs, who plays on the Latvian national team, and Peter Schneider, who has travelled to many countries to get playing time, including at the University of Notre Dame.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Basket Brno In Quarantine, Cancels Wednesday Game
Basket Brno won on their new court at Hala vodova on Friday in the featured first game of the NBL season — but within hours they were hit with bad news: several players showed symptoms of the coronavirus.
The Brno men’s basketball team has been tested. But, even without the test results, it asked the league to postpone its game tonight against Olomoucko at Hala vodova. The game has been moved to Oct. 30.
The next four games, if possible, are to be played on the road: BK ARMEX Děčín (Sept. 9; 6 p.m.); Královští sokoli (Sept. 23; 6:45 p.m.); ERA Basketball Nymburk (Sept. 25; 5 p.m.); and BK Opava (Oct. 3; 6 p.m.). The next home game is Oct. 7, when Basket Brno hosts BK JIP Pardubice. Game time is to be announced.
The opening game — a 78-61 victory over GEOSAN Kolín — was a big step forward after several less-than-successful seasons. Brno played solid up and down the lineup — with all 10 players scoring — and, though it is just the first game, established that this season could provide the success for which it has long been looking.
Point guard Jan Kozina led the balanced offense with 13 points. Šimon Puršl, who had 12, was the only other double-digit scorer.
Brno, which included 16-year-old Jakub Nečas (8 points, 6 rebounds) and 17-year-old Petr Křivánek (7 points), did not suit up two of its big names: national-team-player Radek Farský and former Cal Poly University wing Marcellus Garrick.
CRICKET
Brno Draws Defending Champions in Semis
The Brno Cricket Club enters the postseason this weekend with a team in the semifinals of both Division 1 and Division 2.
The BCC Rangers face the defending-champion PCC Kings in the semifinals on Saturday in Prague at 11 a.m. Should they advance, the finals will be that afternoon at 3 p.m.
Naveed Ahmad, the Rangers captain, is the leading wicket taker in the league and hopes to conclude the Czech season as the best bowler.
In Division 2, the BCC Raptors face United Cricket club on Sunday at 11 a.m. The finals are at 3 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Saturday Starts both Women’s, Men’s Leagues
All three of the top-league Brno volleyball teams begin their seasons on Saturday.
VK Šelmy Brno will begin the defense of their title at Prostějov. They return to Brno Sept. 24 to host Olomouc.
VK Královo Pole, which starts at home against Šternberk on Saturday at 6 p.m., has high hopes for the season. Matúš Kalný is back for a second year of the long-term development of the team and two international players were brought in: Elvita Dolotova, a setter from Latvia, and Cassie Baird, an outside hitter from the United States.
“The team is very young,” said Dolotova, who is the captain of the Latvian national team. “The atmosphere is really good. We are training and we are ready.”
Added Baird, who has played at the Division 1 Level at the University of Denver and internationally in Portugal and Switzerland: “We have some young, talented players. They are tall and athletic.”
The Volejbal Brno men’s team finished third last year. They host Praha at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Gets Olomouc at Home Sunday
Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad — and sometimes the bad outweighs the good. Such was the case for FC Zbrojovka captain Peter Štepanovský in Zlín on Sunday.
Štepanovský tied the score at 1 apiece in the 27th minute. Fourteen minutes later, he was shown a second yellow card for an unnecessary foul, and removed from the field.
Zbrojovka (0-1-2, 1 point) never recovered. Zlín (2-0-1, 6) scored twice early in the second half to pull away for the 3-1 victory.
Brno hosts Olomouc (2-0-1, 6), another Moravian rival, this Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Horni Herspice Wins First Game
After starting the season against the top three teams in the league, Lokomotiva Brno Horni Herspice got a game against a middle-of-the standings team (the fourth-place team) and won. Lokomotiva beat FK Pardubice, 2-1, at their temporary home in Hrušovany u Brna on Saturday.
Viktória Kovaliková put Brno on the scoreboard in the 16th minute. After conceding a goal, Sabina Ganiecová finished the scoring in the 42nd minute.
Lokomotiva (1-0-3, 3 points) is now seventh, just above winless FC Viktoria Plzeň.
After a break, Lokomotiva will travel to FC Slovan Liberec (2-0-2, 6) for a Sept. 26 game.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Battle for Brno II
The Brno Sigrs will host the Brno Alligators on Sunday in Brněnské Ivanovice. The game starts at 5 p.m.
The first meeting was won by the Sigrs opening day for the season.
Quarterback Douglas Webster leads a powerful Sigrs offense. He has 12 passing touchdowns and two running TDs this season.
The Sigrs (3-1) appear to have an excellent chance to make it to the postseason, although, after the loss to the Vysočina Gladiators (4-0) on Sept. 6, they dropped below Ostrava (3-1) in the Eastern Division standings, given that Ostrava has scored 155 points this season and Brno has scored a third-best-in-the-league 101.
The Alligators (1-3) snapped a 13-game losing streak on Sept. 6 by beating the Prague Mustangs, 15-41. The running game was solid, with David Kilian scoring three TDs and Jan Nestr adding two more. The victory put them in third place in the Eastern Division, 32 points ahead of the Přerov Mammoths (1-3).
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (where applicable).
Friday, Sept. 11, 2020
— Men’s Basketball: Basket Brno 78, GEOSAN Kolín 61
— Baseball (Czech Series, Game 1): Draci Brno 6, Arrows Ostrava 1
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020
— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H.H. 2, FK Pardubice 1
— Baseball (Czech Series, Game 2): Arrows Ostrava 4, Draci Brno 6
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020
— Men’s Football:Zlín 3, Zbrojovka Brno 1
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).
Friday, Sept. 18, 2020
— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno X HC Oceláři Třinec, 6 p.m.
— Baseball (Czech Series, Game 3): Draci Brno X Arrows Ostrava, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020
— Cricket (semifinals): PCC Kings X Brno CC 1st XI Rangers, 11 a.m.
— Women’s Volleyball: Prostějov X VK Brno, 3 p.m.
— Men’s Volleyball: Brno X Praha, 6 p.m.
— Women’s Volleyball: Kr. Pole X Šternberk, 6 p.m.
— Men’s Baskebtall: BK Armex Děčín X Basket Brno, 6 p.m.
— Baseball (Czech Series, Game 4, if necessary): Arrows Ostrava X Draci Brno, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno X Olomouc, 3:30 p.m.
— American Football: Brno Sígrs X Brno Alligators, in Brněnské Ivanovice, 5 p.m.
— Hockey: HC Verva Litvínov X HC Kometa Brno, 5:30 p.m.
— Baseball (Czech Series, Game 5, if necessary): Draci Brno X Arrows Ostrava, 7 p.m.
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.
