MINSK, 25 May (BelTA) - Dominik Kubalik scored at 1:23 of overtime to give the Czech Republic a hard-earned, 3-2, victory over Belarus in Group A action, BelTA has learned.
The win is the first for the Czechs after two losses and moves them into 6th spot in the standings with two points. With the loss, Belarus, also 1-2, is in 4th with four points.
Alexei Kolosov was excellent in his first start with the senior team after playing the U18 in 2019. He stopped 35 of 38 shots, while Belarus had 23 shots at Simon Hrubec.
Belarus stormed to a 1-0 lead early in the second, thanks to Yegor Sharangovich. The Czechs tied the game four minutes later. Jan Kovar redirected the puck into the open side to make it a 1-1 game.
Three minutes later, Filip Zadina helped the Czechs took the lead on their second power play of the game.
Belarus had to press in the third, and Vladislav Yeryomenko tied the game midway through the final stanza.
Nick Bailen and Vladislav Koloda had their chances to score in the overtime, but it was the Czechs who left the ice victorious.
The Group A standings are as follows: Slovakia – 9 points (three games played), Russia – 6 (3), Switzerland – 6 (2), Belarus – 4 (3), Denmark – 3 (2), the Czech Republic – 2 (3), Sweden – 0 (2), and the UK – 0 (2).
Belarus will next play the UK on 26 May.
The four best teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinal. There will be no relegated teams this year.
