Old school rules

Kurbads easily win Donbas Donets’k and can already book the tickets for Rungsted, Denmark for the semi-final group in November: only an unimaginable catastrophe a loss with the weakest team in the group, Narva PSK, can eliminate the Latvian team. Donbas, at the first clash with a challenging opponent, shows all the limit of its young and inexperienced roster: it was, in fact, a game between a senior and a junior team: exactly a combination between a veteran – Janis Sprukts and a young promise, - Martins Lavrovs – produces the first goal of the game at 04:12. After the opening goal, Kurbads slows down the pace so Donbas takes courage, threatening the Latvian cage with Lyalka. Even with Kurbads in control of the game, the period remains battled and home team has to wait until 19:17 when again Lavrovs finds the right path in the traffic to beat Dyachenko.

Playing a very aggressive power play the home team scores the third goal at 22:46 when a smart pass by Zolmanis behind his back finds Martins Gipters for an easy finish. Another veteran, Martins Cipulis, signed last week by Kurbads, notches the fourth at 29:42 served by Gatis Gricinskis. Same Cipulis served a great pass for the perfect finish of Sandis Zolmanis at 33:38 for the for the fans' delight, today less numerous than yesterday. Before the sixth goal, scored by Gricinskis served as usual by Cipulis, Donbas finally break the ice scoring with probably its best player, Vitali Lyalka after a big mess in front of Calpa. Cipulis seals a night to remember scoring on power play his second goal and the seventh for Kurbads at the beginning of last period. After the goal, with the game already decided, there is room for some attempt by Donbas with Lyalka and Kuzmik, well controlled by Calpa. The goalie has his momentum  around minute 47 when a power play turned in a double superiority for 20 seconds, produced a series of shots exalting the reactivity of one of fans’ favourite. At 57:27 Sarkanis, served by Pecura in front of Dyachenko, easily notches the goal number 8 for a night to remember in the history of the club

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