Oleg Tymchenko’s team staged a spectacular comeback in regulation but conceded in overtime.
Kyiv Capitals (Ukraine) – Liepaja (Latvia) – 4:5 OT (1:2; 0:2; 3:0; 0:1)
Goals: 1:0 – Fursa (Honcharenko), 01:36; 1:1 – Svars (Vutkevics, Zile – power play), 03:49; 1:2 – Niedrajs (Ozolins, Snepste), 08:12; 1:3 – Svars (R. Jansons, Niedrajs), 33:01; 1:4 – Sadauskas (Laivenieks), 33:01; 2:4 – Melnykov (Cipruss), 41:42; 3:4 – E. Jansons (Begovs, Karsums – power play +2), 55:53; 4:4 – Begovs (Karsums, E. Jansons), 59:04; 4:5 – Ozolins (Grnbergs), 61:03.
Kyiv Capitals: Jānis Voris; Vitalii Andreikiv – Eduards Hugo Jansons, Martins Karsums (c) – Lauris Bajaruns – Rustams Begovs; Edmunds Augstkalns – Andrejs Kostjuks, Denys Honcharenko – Danylo Tsarkovskyi – Daniil Fursa; Oleksii Melnykov – Ivan Shamardin, Marat Saroka – Renars Cipruss – Aleksandrs Novikovs; Valentyn Sirchenko, Andrii Kryvonozhkin – Oleksandr Valkun – Denys Plesovskykh.
Head coach: Oleg Tymchenko
Liepāja: Michael Valenta; Ralfs Grinbergs (c) – Gustavs Krumins, Kevins Stradnieks – Valters Niedrajs – Karlis Ozolins; Pauls Svars – Alberts Emils Snepste, Niks Zile – Rinalds Vutkevics – Daniels Andersons; Reinholds Circenis – Regnars Jansons, Dominykas Sadauskas – Rudolfs Laivenieks – Niklavs Lagzdins; Miks Lindbergs, Endijs Butans – Roberts Freidenfelds – Kristers Butans.
Head coach: Edgars Brancis.
Tymchenko’s men could not count on suspended Kristians Zelts for the second consecutive home match. On the other hand, Andrii Kryvonozhkin made his Optibet League debut.
The game started brightly for the home team. In just the second minute, Honcharenko picked up the puck near his goal and launched a quick counterattack for the Capitals, which Fursa capped off with his second goal of the season.
The visitors quickly replied. Andreikiv was sent off for two minutes, and the Latvians converted the power play. Svars had plenty of time to line up his shot and fired past Voris with a precise wrist shot.
After Krumins’ penalty, Liepaja scored the penalty successfully and soon went in front. Voris made the initial save on Ozolins` long-range effort, but Niedrajs was the quickest on the rebound.
In the latter half of the second period, the visitors extended their lead to three goals. First, Svars exploited poor defensive coverage to score his second of the game, then Sadauskas, after two saves from Voris, finally struck on his third attempt.
The third period had to start with a quick goal for Tymchenko’s side – and it did. Vice-captain Melnykov fired from the blue line, and with Valenta screened, the puck found its way into the net.
The most interesting part came in the final five minutes of regulation. After penalties to Ozolins and Endijs Butans, the Capitals had a two-person advantage and capitalized. Eduards Hugo Jansons faked a shot, deked past his opponent, and blasted the puck into Valenta’s net.
Time was running out, and with 1:43 remaining, Tymchenko pulled Voris for the extra attacker. The gamble paid off: Karsums found Begovs on the crease, and Rustams coolly beat the Latvian goalie to level the score.
Still, the comeback took its toll, and Liepaja snatched the win early in overtime. Their top line combined for the decider: Grinbergs assisted, and Ozolins scored the winning goal, giving the Latvians a dramatic victory and moving them to the top of the standings with nine points.
Meanwhile, the Capitals sit in fifth place with five points, though they have two games in hand. On September 25, they will face Vilnius Hockey Punks in their next league clash.
