Neman Grodno vs Lida

A scoreless first period gave way to the opening goal 1:24 into the second period. Matvei Toft found the net for Lida, assisted by Artem Goncharov and Alexander Makarevich, to put the visitors ahead 1-0 after 21:24 of play.

Lida doubled their lead at 43:42 of the third period when Nikita Remezov, with help from Vyacheslav Ipatov, made it 2-0 and appeared to put the game beyond reach.

Neman responded inside two minutes. Yevgeni Avramenko pulled one back at 45:02, assisted by Sergei Romanovich and Ilya Kul, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

With the clock winding down and regulation time slipping away, Kirill Melnichenko scored the equaliser at 59:16 — just 44 seconds before the final buzzer — off a feed from captain Yevgeni Lisovets to force overtime at 2-2.

Melnichenko's last-minute equaliser was the clear momentum shift. Lida had controlled the game for 59 minutes, holding a two-goal lead as late as the 45th minute, but conceding with under a minute left in regulation drained their advantage. Neman carried that energy into the extra period, and Omelyusik completed the turnaround at 68:55 for the 3-2 win.

Daniil Omelyusik (Neman Grodno) — Scored the overtime winner in his first pre-season outing, showcasing composure in the extra frame. The forward was a constant threat on the second line alongside Igor Kozyachiy and German Poddubny.

Kirill Melnichenko (Neman Grodno) — His 59:16 equaliser saved Neman from a regulation defeat. Playing on the top line with Maxim Uskov and Vladislav Kuliev, he produced when it mattered most.

Nikita Remezov (Lida) — Scored Lida's crucial second goal at 43:42 and was involved in much of the visitors' best offensive work. The Belarusian forward continues to be Lida's primary creative threat.

Matvei Toft (Lida) — Opened the scoring in the second period and was a handful for the Neman defence throughout. His goal was the first of the pre-season for Lida.

Player of the Match: Daniil Omelyusik (Neman Grodno)

Penalties were minimal — Neman conceded just 2 minutes, Lida 4 — reflecting the friendly nature of the contest. The scoreline progression (0-0, 0-1, 2-1, 1-0 OT) shows a game that was tightly contested through two periods before opening up in the third. Neman's ability to score twice in the final 15 minutes of regulation, including a goal inside the final minute, indicates superior fitness or depth in the closing stages of a pre-season fixture — a positive sign as they build toward the Betera-Extraliga season.

This was Neman Grodno's first pre-season friendly of the 2026/27 campaign. They followed this result with a 27 July friendly against HC Kaluga before entering the Saley Cup competition in early August. Lida, meanwhile, took this result into their own pre-season schedule, which included a 3 August Saley Cup fixture against Aviator where they won 4-2.

Both Belarusian Extraliga sides are using the Club Friendly and Saley Cup windows to test lineups and build fitness ahead of the regular season.

A typical early pre-season friendly: rust in the first half, a late surge from Neman, and an overtime period that gave both coaches extra evaluation minutes. Omelyusik's winner was the difference, but the scoreline matters less than the conditioning work both teams banked in Grodno.