Yunost book the Superfinals

Kurbads Riga and Yunost Minsk open the second day of semi-finals in Rungsted after the brilliant debut for both: Yunost trashed Sheffield Steelers showing a clear superiority, Kurbads got the better on Rungsted solving the challenge in the last period, leaving the impression this two team can be the qualified for the Superfinals.

Yunost, without defender Nikita Mitskevich, has a better start and the first real chance with Andrei Mikhnov after 4 minutes, stopped by Uldis Calpa. At minute 10 Kurbads can take advantage of a double power play threatening goalie Dmitri Milchakov with Gatis Gricinskis before Pavel Razvadovsky forcing Renars Valters to an holding restoring the numerical parity. At 15 Calpa makes a great save diving to deflect a shot by Turkin and in the same action deflecting the attempt by Mikhnov. Same Ukrainian forward misses the net for inches deflecting an assist from Turkin at minute 18.

The begin of seconf period sees chances for both teams, always with a slight predominance of Yunost, not enough to has Kurbads on corner, instead the Latvian team has a great chance when, with 2 men down, Janis Sprukts skate alone towards Milchakov, firing on the goalie. After o post hit by Zakharov, again Sprukts wastes a chance shorthanded. The equilibrium is broken at minute 31 by a fantastic move by Pavel Razvadovsky, classy deking the defender serving Alexander Kogalev for the finishing. Surviving to a couple of power play, Kurbads ties the game with captain Toms Bluks with a beautiful shot from the blue. But in less than a minute Yunost recovers the advantage: Turkin for the one-timer of Maxim Parfeyevets with no chances for Calpa At 39 Milchakov deflects another dangerous shot by Bluks to keep his team leading the score before the last period. A perfect copy of the action of second goal gives Yunost the double advantage at 45:24, here with Parfeyevets as assist man for the perfect finishing of Viktor Turkin. At minute 50 the shot of Janis Sprukts rings on the post, the last attempt to keep the hopes alive: at 52:57 Alexei Efimenko finds no opposition to his ride towards Calpa, scoring the 4-1. Edgars Brancis scores a beautiful but late goal. Yunost showed again a clear superiority and it’s already qualified for last act, Kurbads has still with good chances, especially if Rungsted wins against Sheffield tonight

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