The MOL League kicked off the 2013-14 season in Slovakia in the town of Nové Zámkywhere the defending champions DAB.Docler came to visit. Both clubs have their eyes set on winning the league title therefor this was an excellent match to start the season with.
The home team took the lead in a match that was filled with penalties, a little before the midway point of the match when Miroslav Stefanka was able to put a rebound past Peter Sevela and took advantage of a 5 on 3. Just over five minutes later the visiting squad capitalized themselves on a PP when Adrián Hüffner was able to beat the goalie. The match had started off with Martin Baron receiving a 10+2+2 for butting after using the "wrong end" of the stick in the first minute of the match. With less than five minutes left Albin Podstavek was set up by Gergő Nagy for another PP goal. DAB pulled their keeper in an effort to draw even but Erik Caladi closed the door on that with an empty netter.
The second match of the season marked the first of many Transylvanian derbies that will take place this season where Csíkszereda played host to an improved Brasov side. The visiting side jumped out to an early 3-0 lead by taking advantage on a one man advantage as well as on two men advantage. Evgeny Pysarenko made it 1-0 at 2:14, Zsolt Molnár made it 2-0 at 3:19 and Magor Tivadar Petres closed out the scoring in the first at 10:29.
The home side came out strong in the second period as Csíkszereda came within one after goals by Vaclav Novak and Jan Hruby. New Brasov addition Martin Saluga put a damper on the home teams hopes when he scored the 4th Brasov goal at 35:24, the match would finish 4-2.
The first game to be held in Budapest this season was between the purple and white side UTE and the visiting Miskolc Jegesmedvék (polar bears). Miskolc had a simple game plan that they stuck to, play tight in the defensive zone and take advantage of what the other team offers. Márk Miskolczi started off the scoring with new Canadian edition Curtis de Bruyn scoring on a PP to go into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead. The "polar bears" would stick with this pattern of two goals a period as Roland Hajós and Szilveszter Orosz both had even strength goals in the second. The third period was the same as the second but this time the even strength goals came from two import players in Juraj Faith and Tyler Metcalfe. One positive note for UTE was that they played clean and were only penalized once.
Nové Zámky played host to FTC who were playing their first match of the young season. This ended up being a high scoring match, however despite a number of penalties only three of the goals scored were on the PP. Marek Dubec put the home team up on the board with the lone goal of the first period. FTC scored twice early in the second to take a 2-1 lead, Norbert Dancsfalvi tied it up one all on a power play goal at 25:54 with Gábor Kiss making it 2-1 at 28:12.
The home team came back by scoring three even strength and a powerplay goal in less than five minutes to take back the lead as the teams went into the third period. Erik Caladi, Erik Weissmann, and Pavel Pavesic had even strength goals with Martin Zajac beating Michal Meravy on the man advantage. With Gábor Kiss' second goal of the match FTC was able to come up to 5-3 but that was all they had left Nové Zámky was able to score two late goals to set the final score at 7-3. The two Eriks both scoring their second goals of the match Caladi and Weissmann closed out the game.
Arguably the top two teams in the league met up in Transylvania when last season's runner up Csíkszereda played host to the title holders DAB.Docler. The home team took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Tihamér Becze, the visiting team tied it up five minutes later when new acquisition but long time fan favorite Balázs Ladányi beat Stanislav Kozuch. The two teams exchanged goals again at the end of the period when Tamás Biró put the puck in the cage for the hosts and Attila Pavuk did the same for the visitors. Within a two and half minute span in the second stanza the teams exchanged goals again: the home team went up 3-2 with a Tamás Farkas goal, with the "steel bulls" evening up again with Ladányi tallying his second on a power play at 27:26. There would be no more goals scored in regulation, in overtime Attila Pavuk's second secured the two overtime points for Dunaújváros.
Two undefeated sides met up in north-eastern Hungarian as the "polar bears" of Miskolc played host to the lone Slovak side in the league. Nové Zámky opened up the scoring late in the first period as Zajac put the puck past Dávid Gyenes, the second twenty minutes was all Miskolc as they took a 2-1 lead into the third off of a power play goal by Metcalfe and an even strength one by Patrik Popovics. The third period was back and forth with Metcalfe's second goal of the match being sandwiched between two Marek Dubec Nové Zámky scores At the end of regulation the teams stood even at 3 all but Róland Hajós came to the rescue by scoring the winner with 10 seconds left in the extra period.
Újpest went on the road to Brasov to pick up their first points of the season. The visiting team struck first when Dániel Szirányi was able to put the puck past Patrik Polc at 15:04 of the first period. UTE was able to hold onto the lead till the 25:48 minute mark when Pysarenko evened things up at 1-1. Later in the second Brasov went up by two when in a 35 second span both Josh Bonar and Petres scored, three minutes later Roberto Gliga made it 4-1. Róbert Dömötör was able to get one back for the visiting with five minutes left to set the score at 4-2.
Leading scorers of the week
Points: 5, Gergő Nagy
Goals: 3, Tyler Metcalfe, Erik Caladi, Marek Dubec
Assists: 5, Gergő Nagy