Belarusian Cup· Season 2026
Zhlobin held off Molodechno 4-2 in the Salei Cup quarter-final, with Yuri Veremeyenko restoring the lead after the visitors had come from 2-0 down to level in the second period.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
The reigning Belarusian champions, who topped Group B with 11 points from five games, took control early. Vyacheslav Gramovich opened the scoring at 17:20 of the first period, converting from close range after Alexander Timirev and Rostislav Bodilovsky worked the puck below the goal line.
Zhlobin doubled their lead 2:09 into the second period when Andrei Gerashchenko buried a power-play goal, with Roman Krikunenko providing the assist. At 2–0, the home side looked in command.
Molodechno — the fourth-place qualifiers from Group A who edged Neman in a shootout on 24 August just to reach this stage — refused to fold. Sergei Drozd pulled one back at 24:17, redirecting a feed from Sergei Stankevich past the Zhlobin netminder. Just 3:32 later, Vladislav Surkov swept home the equaliser at 27:49, Stankevich again the provider.
The deadlock lasted only nine minutes. Yuri Veremeyenko restored Zhlobin's lead at 36:49 with a well-placed shot, Krikunenko and Bodilovsky registering their second assists of the night.
The third period remained tense as Molodechno pushed for another equaliser, pulling their goaltender in the final minute. But with 32 seconds remaining, Egor Kuzmenko — the group stage's joint-top scorer with five goals — fired into the empty net to seal the 4–2 result.
Period scores: 1–0, 2–2, 1–0.
The turning point
Molodechno had all the momentum after Surkov's equaliser levelled the game at 2–2 midway through the second period. But rather than retreat, Zhlobin responded within nine minutes through Veremeyenko's strike. The timing was critical — had Molodechno reached the second intermission level, the third period could have played out very differently. Veremeyenko's goal swung momentum back to the home side and forced Molodechno to chase the game for the entire final frame.
Key performers
Yuri Veremeyenko (Zhlobin) — Scored what proved to be the game-winner at 36:49, restoring Zhlobin's lead at a moment when the match was finely balanced. Also featured in the exhibition win over Yunost-Minsk on 25 August with a brace.
Roman Krikunenko (Zhlobin) — Two primary assists (Gerashchenko's PPG and Veremeyenko's winner), driving the offensive zone play during the decisive second-period sequence.
Sergei Stankevich (Molodechno) — Set up both Molodechno goals (Drozd and Surkov), the creative hub of the visitors' attack during their mid-game resurgence.
Egor Kuzmenko (Zhlobin) — The group stage's leading scorer added the empty-net insurance goal at 59:28, his sixth of the tournament.
Player of the match: Yuri Veremeyenko.
By the numbers — interpreted
The defining stat of this contest was not possession or shot counts but recovery time. Molodechno erased a two-goal deficit in 3:32 of the second period, but Zhlobin answered in just 9:00 — Veremeyenko's goal at 36:49 arrived before the second intermission, denying the visitors the psychological boost of a level scoreline heading into the final period.
On the broader H2H record (50 meetings, Zhlobin leading 31–19), this result extends the home side's strong recent run at Ice Palace Metallurg: nine regulation wins in their last ten home matches. The fixture has a 100% over-2.5-goals rate across all 50 encounters, and this match continued that trend.
What it means
Zhlobin advance to the Salei Cup semi-finals and await the winner of the other quarter-final ties. The result maintains their status as tournament favourites: the three-time reigning Belarusian champions have now won three of their last four competitive matches since the group stage concluded.
Molodechno exit the Cup at the quarter-final stage. Their defensive struggles in the group stage (16 goals conceded, worst in Group A) resurfaced in key moments despite their spirited comeback from 2–0 down.
Zhlobin's next fixture will be the semi-final, date and opponent to be confirmed. Molodechno return to Betera-Extraliga action for the 2026–27 regular season.
Verdict
The scoreline flattered Zhlobin slightly — Molodechno competed on equal terms for long stretches and justified their place in the knockout stage. But Zhlobin's quality in key moments, particularly Veremeyenko's timely intervention and Krikunenko's playmaking, was decisive. They advance as deserved winners, but the semi-finals will require a sharper 60-minute performance.
Match Events
Key match events between Zhlobin and Molodechno — 6 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
R. Bodilovsky
Power-play
V. Masilevich
R. Bodilovsky
Empty net
Rivalry since 2018
Zhlobin vs Molodechno Head to Head Results· 50
Zhlobin and Molodechno have met 50 times — Zhlobin won 31, Molodechno won 19, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2018. Zhlobin leads the head-to-head with 31 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 263 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.26 per match (143 for the home side, 120 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 48 matches (96%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 50 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 4–8 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 29 Aug 2026