Belarus keeps a small quarterfinal chance

09 May 2012 | Irina Goroshko

Belarus beat Kazahstan 3-2 and receives the first 3 points in the World Championship 2012. Kari Heikkilä's team still hopes for quarterfinal and awaits Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn from Nashville Predators.

The Belarus national team wants to play in the quarterfinal of the World Championship 2012. The leader of the team Mikhail Grabovsky told about it after the game:
"We still have a chance at the quarterfinals. It was a very important win for us", - he said.

Grabovsky still believes in quarter finals.
Photo: Mika Leino

It will be very difficult for Belarus that took 7th place after 3 games. Belarus lost to Finland (0:1) and Switzerland (2:3) before the match with Kazakhstan. They will play with USA on Thursday and can theoretically lose the quarterfinals chances.

Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev could have become a hero of Kazakhstan if they won. He scored twice and was named the best player of the game of Kazakhstan team.

Krasnoslobodtsev - best player of Kazakhstan
Photo: Mika Leino

But Belarus players were luckier in the second period. Konstantin Koltsov, Mikhail Grabovsky and Evgeni Kovyrshin scored for Belarus that time. Grabovsky and Kovyrshin made their goals within 15 seconds.

There were no goals in the third period. Kazakhstan players tried to do their best and outshot Belarus 13-7, but Andrey Mezin made all 13 saves to keep the win.

"It was the best game of my team in this tournament" – Andrey Shayanov, the head coach of Kazakhstan team said at press-conference.

"We have really problems in the first periods of all our games in Helsinki. And Kazakhstan played really good. So we are too happy about our first win. And we hope to solve our problems until the next game" – the head coach of Belarus Kari Heikkilä said.

Andrei Kostitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn will join Team Belarus on Friday, Heikkilä expects.