It was a disappointing night for HC Pilsen and their fans, as their 4-4 OT draw in Switzerland against Lausanne HC ended their hopes of CHL glory as early as the Round of 16. The three-time CHL participants made it as far as the Semi-Finals last season after an unforgettable unbeaten Group Stage run.

“Our goal before the season was to get out of the group. We believed we had what it takes to beat Lausanne,” said 24-year-old forward Luboš Rob. It all started promisingly for his side once again this season – the 2018/19- Semi-Finalists narrowly missed out on top spot in their group and were a feared side in the other side draw. However, Round of 16 opponents Lausanne has been in great form recently – the debuting club has so far been the surprise of the season, not only finishing top of their group but winning some important matches both domestically and in the CHL.  

“People probably didn’t believe we had a chance, but the whole team proved that we're on a level to play against such a top Swiss team,” continued Rob, who got his first ever taste of European hockey with Pilsen this season. He faired admirably and scored some crucial goals, including last night’s series leveller in the final period to give Pilsen a 4-3 lead and send the game to OT. He could have been the star of the night, but it wasn't to be.

“I thought we played pretty well,” said Rob, “but we were missing some players coming into this game and then we made a mistake in OT and that was the end.” One of the most notable players absent was CHL top scorer and club captain Milan Gulaš who played in the first leg of the matchup, but missed the return game in Switzerland.

“Despite the end, this was a valuable experience for all of us with some top-quality games” Rob concluded.