Saleya Hockey Cup semi-finals to be held in Vitebsk

Minsk, August 12 /Corr. Berta/. Vitebsk Hockey Club has won the right to host the final stage of the Ruslansaray Cup at its home stadium, Belarusian news agency correspondent reported.

On Monday evening, the current trophy holders visited Slavutych Smolensk – for the Russian club, this match became the first official match of the Belarusian Championship to be played on home ice. During the match, Smolensk took the lead twice, but both times the northerners fought back. Overtime did not reveal the strongest, but in the penalty shootout, Vitebsk players were more accurate – in the end 3:2.

The victory was the fifth in a row for Roman Yupatov’s team, which won Group B and reached the semi-finals of the Saleya Cup. In addition, Vitebsk will host the decisive match of this tournament on August 31-September 1, as the Bears finished higher in the play-off standings than Group A winners Yunost Minsk at the end of last season.

Meanwhile, the Polesi derby between Metallurg and Gomel took place in Zhlobin. In the third quarter of the first match, the Lynx created two goals, but in the second quarter the Belarusian champions restored the tie. The key to this match was the third 20 minutes, when a precise shot from Gomel resident Kirill Mezhnikov decided everything. With this victory, the Lynx tied with Metallurg and Lokomotiv in Group B, with 6 points each. Second-placed Shimik had one more point, and the fate of the two tickets to the next round will be decided in the final round on August 14.

On Thursday, two matches will be played in Group A of the Saleya Cup: Yunost will face Dynamo-Molodechno on the small stage of the Chizovka Arena, and two candidates for the playoff qualifiers Shakhtar will play against Others and Pilots, respectively. For the Soligorsk resident, even one point will be enough; only Victoria will satisfy the hockey player of Baranovichi -0-.