A one-all tie sets up a thrilling return leg next week in Sweden after Liberec and Växjö played out a draw in tonight's first leg.

The opening period was a fast, well-matched affair in which both sides created chances but nothing overly clear cut. The middle period saw the Lakers with the better start and were the more purposeful team with the puck. A defensive disaster however handed the visitors the lead. Liberec goalie Jaroslav Janus came out of his crease to play the puck, but put it on a plate for Liam Reddox to knock the puck in after just 33 seconds.

Liberec came out for the final period however much better, and pressed for the equaliser. After killing off a penalty they would eventually draw level - Lukáš Jašek with a tight-angle shot finding the roof of the next with 46:17 played. Late on, a 5-on-3 PP opportunity for the home side presented them with the chance to take the lead. However, despite calling the timeout to try and come up with a play, Växjö held strong to keep it a tied game.