Club Friendly· Season 2026
Almaz hit two goals in 19 seconds inside the opening seven minutes to beat Metallurg Cherepovets 4-1 in a pre-season friendly at the Tournament of Cosmonaut P.I. Belyaev.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
The match was barely six minutes old when Almaz opened the scoring. Ilya Prishchepa found the net at 06:17, assisted by Alexander Smirnov and Semyon Sobolev. Just 19 seconds later, Lev Gaponov doubled the lead at 06:36 with help from Grigory Bayushev and Timofey Gulenok, catching the Metallurg defence flat-footed.
Metallurg steadied before the first intermission. Zakhar Mudrov pulled one back at 17:49, giving the visitors a lifeline at 2-1 heading into the first break.
Almaz reasserted control in the second period. Vyacheslav Biryukov scored at 06:31 of the middle frame — again assisted by Gulenok, this time with Vladislav Kanev also involved — to make it 3-1.
Ivan Zakharov capped the scoring in the third period, finishing at 03:57 off a feed from Nikita Kichigin to seal the 4-1 result.
The Turning Point
The quickfire double inside the first 6:36 of the opening period. Almaz's two goals in 19 seconds forced Metallurg onto the back foot from the outset. Though Mudrov's strike before the first break gave the visitors hope, they never truly recovered — Almaz controlled the middle period and added a third before the second intermission.
Key Performers
Timofey Gulenok (Almaz) — The standout performer, registering two primary assists (on Gaponov's opener and Biryukov's third-period goal). His vision from the blue line unlocked the Metallurg defence repeatedly.
Ilya Prishchepa (Almaz) — Scored the crucial first goal that settled early nerves and set the tone.
Zakhar Mudrov (Metallurg Cherepovets) — The lone bright spot for the visitors, his well-taken goal just before the first break gave Metallurg a foothold they ultimately could not sustain.
Player of the Match: Timofey Gulenok
By the Numbers — Interpreted
Almaz won all three periods (2-1, 1-0, 1-0), a reflection of their sustained dominance across the 60 minutes. The 19-second gap between the first two goals is the standout statistical marker — a burst that effectively decided the match inside the first seven minutes. Metallurg, who had conceded 6 goals in each of their two previous pre-season outings (against Sakhalinskie Akuly and Atlant), tightened up defensively relative to those matches but still shipped four.
What It Means
This was part of the Tournament of Cosmonaut P.I. Belyaev, a pre-season competition for MHL (Junior Hockey League) and NMHL sides. Almaz improved their pre-season record to 2 wins from 3 outings in the tournament, having beaten Loko 76 3-2 on 31 July and lost to Sakhalinskie Akuly 2-3 on 1 August. For Metallurg, the defeat extended a difficult pre-season run — they had lost 2-6 to Sakhalinskie Akuly on 30 July and 1-6 to Atlant on 31 July before this fixture.
Verdict
A controlled, professional performance from Almaz built on an explosive start. The 19-second double salvo was the match's defining passage, and Gulenok's two-assist display underlined his quality. Metallurg have defensive issues to address before the regular season, having conceded 13 goals across their three pre-season games.
Rivalry since 2019
Almaz vs Metallurg Cherepovets Head to Head Results· 2
Almaz and Metallurg Cherepovets have met 2 times — Almaz won 1, Metallurg Cherepovets won 1, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2019. A combined 15 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 7.50 per match (9 for the home side, 6 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 2 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 2 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 6–2 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 5 Aug 2026