Vadym Shakhraichuk’s players returned from the Poltava region without any points.

Kremenchuk – Kyiv Capitals – 3:1 (1:0; 1:1; 1:0)
Pucks:
1:0 – Abadzhian (Serednytskyi, Matusevych), 15:56; 1:1 – Karpenko (Oliynyk, – power play), 21:14; 2:1 – Matusevych (Materykin, Lialka), 35:42; 3:1 – Braha (empty net), 59:13.

Kremenchuk: Eduard Zakharchenko; Bohdan Pankov – Dmytro Ihnatenko, Vitalii Lialka (c) – Yehor Bezuhlyi – Mykhailo Hevorkian; Tymofii Materykin – Denys Matusevych, Dmytro Poperezhai – Hlib Kryvoshapkin – Artem Tselohorodtsev; Daniil Kryvenko – Bohdan Piddubnyi, Bohdan Serednytskyi – Vladyslav Braha – Yevhenii Abadzhian; Rasim Abdullaiev, Viacheslav Andrushchenko – Daniil Duka – Yurii Myronenko
Head coach:
Andrii Sriubko

Kyiv Capitals: Nazar Boiko; Nikita Liesnikov – Deniss Berdniks, Danylo Tyshchenko – Serhii Chernenko (c) – Yaroslav Panchenko; Vladyslav Luhovyi – Eetu Moksunen, Andrii Kryvonozhkin – Sevastian Karpenko – Mykyta Oliynyk; Tymur Lapko – Oleksii Melnykov, Ihor Shevchenko – Yevhen Sekirko – Mykola Dvornyk; Mykhailo Vasyliiev – Valentyn Sirchenko, Oleksandr Valkun – Denys Plesovskykh – Oleksandr Koida
Head coach:
Vadym Shakhraichuk

Both teams entered the match following recent losses, fueling their determination to secure a victory. Anticipating the clash between two top-four teams offered no room for certain predictions, a notion apparent in this closely contested match.

We can recall that all eight previous goals were scored by Vadym Shakhraichuk’s team during the power play. Despite an initial missed opportunity in the sixth minute, the guests persisted. The hosts seized an opportunity during a swift counterattack as Abadzhian skillfully found the net, angling the puck into Boyko’s corner goal.

The start of the second period witnessed a swift turnaround as our team managed to level the playing field. Capitals continued to score during power plays, with the Oliynyk-Karpenko duo showcasing their prowess. Mykyta’s 22nd assist led to Sevastian’s 19th goal.

Before the end of the period, Kremenchuk had an opportunity to take the lead for once, but Andrii Sryubko’s team failed to capitalize on it. However, just before the second break, hosts managed to regain the lead in the game. Matusevych surprised Boiko with a shot from long distance, putting his team the lead again. Capitals also had a third power play opportunity, but the defense of Kremenchuk, under the leadership of Zakharchenko, successfully held them off.

Unfortunately, an air alarm delayed the start of the third period, causing a longer break than planned. Thanks to the efforts of the air defense forces, the game was eventually resumed and the players returned to the ice. Our team urgently needed to show initiative to catch up in the score, but they were unable to find the back of the net, largely due to Zakharchenko’s solid defensive play.

With just 76 seconds remaining in the match, Vadym Shakhraichuk took a risk by pulling Boiko for an extra attacker at 6×5. However, Braha capitalized on the empty net opportunity, sealing the victory for Andrii Sriubko`s team with a final score of 3:1.

Thus, Kremenchuk secured the first victory of the season against Capitals, and Andrii Sriubko emerged victorious over our team for the first time as a coach. In terms of the tournament standings, both teams saw no significant changes. Vadym Shakhraichuk’s squad remained in second place with 45 points, while Kremenchuk stayed in fourth place with 30 points.