MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) - The Belarusian national hockey team has kicked off their campaign at the traditional international ice hockey tournament Channel One Cup, which Russia’s Novosibirsk is hosting for the first time in 2025, BelTA has learned.
The program opened with a 3x3 ice hockey tournament. In their opening match, Belarus faced Kazakhstan. During the match, Belarus trailed twice on the scoreboard but managed to equalize thanks to goals from Danila Karpovich and Sergei Kuznetsov. With two minutes left before the final hooter, Kuznetsov scored a double, putting the Belarusians ahead. However, the opponents leveled the score in the final seconds, 3-3. The outcome was decided in a shootout, where Kazakhstan proved more accurate.
In the next match against the Russia 25 team, Belarus was leading 2-0 just five minutes after the opening face-off. Kuznetsov found the net again, and Vasily Filyayev also scored a precise shot. However, the visitors then conceded six unanswered goals in a row and suffered a 2-6 defeat. The Russian team also defeated Kazakhstan 4-1, claiming victory in the 3x3 tournament, while the Belarusians finished in third place.
The Belarusian national team will play its first match in the main Channel One Cup tournament against Kazakhstan on 12 December, with the game starting at 12:00 pm Minsk time. On 13 December, Dmitri Kvartalnov’s team will face Russia 25 (14:00). On Sunday, the Russian team will host Kazakhstan. Belarus claimed the trophy in 2022, and finished in second place in the two previous seasons.
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