MHL. Ladya sworn enemy for Medvedi

Artyom Sevankayev and Semyon Afonasyevsky were absent in this game as the former went to North America while the latter did not fully recover from injuries. Pavel Nechistovsky became the goalie for the game, replacing Yegor Nazarov.

The match began with mutual minors. Hosts played three against five for a minute in the opening moments of this bout. During this time, Nikita Voynov and Aleksandr Sharov took shots on goal, but Ladya goaltender Aleksandr Brovchenko was on top. Dmitri Stulov had a good chance later on, but the score did not change. Our team possessed the puck for a long time, but had a tough time entering the opponent's zone. Shortly before the first break Ladya players received a two-on-one breakaway chance, and former Traktor player Denis Zernov opened the score – 1:0. Following that, Anton Zuyev could have had a rendezvous with the goaltender, but our D-men managed to prevent the goal.

However, in the second twenty Anton Zuyev managed to finish what he started in the first period, scoring the backhand under the crossbar in a breakaway – 2:0. Three minutes later, Aleksandr Tridchikov could have pulled one back, but failed to do it. Competitive advantage was on the home side; Ladya attacked more and with more pep in their step. That, however, did not stop Belye Medvedi from scoring. Artyom Melikhov scored during the power play – 2:1. This result didn’t hold for long though. A couple of minutes later Semyon Bogachyonok during the power play once again augmented his team’s advantage to two goals – 3:1.

Early in the third, Medvedi turned all their effort to attacking. Maksim Kulikov took a decent shot on goal, but Aleksandr Brovchenko thwarted this attempt. In the next episode, Brovchenko was unable to save his team, but the puck hit the post. One way or the other, the assault was a success, and Vladimir Ionin cut the goal margin to a minimum – 3:2. Immediately after that, Artyom Melikhov had a chance to tie the game, but hit the goaltender instead. The pressure grew near Ladya goal; Ilya Zinoviev ran one on one with the goaltender, hesitated and was not able to take an accurate shot. Right on time, Nikita Svintsitsky was sent to the sin bin, but the guests did not convert the power play. Moreover, five and a half minutes before the end Aleksandr Sharov got a match penalty for kneeing. This did not allow Medvedi to organize the final assault. The black-and-white lost the game with a one goal differential, and it was the second defeat this season in games against Ladya.

Tomorrow the team will play a repeat game.

Game details

LADYA vs. BELYE MEDVEDI – 3:2 (1:0, 2:1, 0:1)

Goals: Zernov, 16 (1:0); Zuyev (Koo), 26 (2:0); Melikhov (Zinovyev, Petrikov), 36 (2:1 – PP goal); Bogachyonok (Musin, Suleymanov), 38 (3:1 – PP goal); Ionin (Sharov), 47 (3:2). 

LADYA
Brovchenko;
Stulov – Sukhikh, Babenko – Svintsitsky – Markovsky;
Bogachyonok – Musin, Zernov – Koo – Suleymanov;
Nevedomsky – Sgibnev, Boldyrev – Zuyev – Yunmagulov;
Reshilov – Pavelchyuk, Siplatov – Perov – Syromyatnikov.

BELYE MEDVEDI
Nechistovsky (Nazarov, 38);
Zabavin – Nazarkin, Korinevsky – Sharov – Ionin;
Petrikov – Alekseyev, Zakarlyukin – Tridchikov – Gomolyako;
Voynov – Isayev, Kulikov – Melikhov – Zinovyev;
Lukin – Lavrinenko, Podkorytov – Shipin – Mosharov.

Shots: 33 (12+14+7) – 31 (9+9+13).
Faceoffs won: 29 (10+11+8) – 28 (10+7+11)
PIM: 12 (6+2+4) – 33 (2+6+25).
Senior official: Sergei Nosov (Kazan).

December 19, 2014. Lada Arena, Togliatti, Russia.