Rubin Tyumen vs Gornyak

Gornyak struck first. Sergei Borisov opened the scoring on the power play at 03:40 of the first period, finishing off a feed from Alexander Zubarev — 0-1. The period ended at that scoreline, with Gornyak carrying a narrow lead into the first intermission.

In the second period, Yegor Kuimov doubled the visitors' advantage at 16:55, assisted by Daniil Molodtsov, making it 0-2. Rubin pulled one back late in the period: Maxim Shcheglov scored at 19:14 to cut the deficit to 1-2 heading into the second break.

The third period was a one-sided affair. Rubin equalised 48 seconds in when Daniil Voevodin scored on the power play, set up by Pavel Meshkov — 2-2. Ilya Loza then put the hosts ahead at 06:00, also on the power play, for 3-2. A fourth goal followed at 07:32 (scorer unattributed in official timelines) to make it 4-2, before Yegor Ivanov added a fifth at 17:07 seemingly putting the game to bed.

Gornyak's Maxim Makhirin pulled one back at 18:38 with an assist from Vladislav Demidovich, but it was too little, too late. Final score: 5-3.

The first 7:32 of the third period. Rubin entered the final frame trailing 1-2 but scored three times in quick succession — two on the power play — to flip the game entirely. Gornyak, who had controlled much of the first 40 minutes, had no answer to Rubin's increased intensity and special-teams efficiency after the second intermission.

• Ilya Loza (Rubin Tyumen) — Scored the go-ahead goal at 06:00 of the third period, the strike that turned the momentum decisively in Rubin's favour.
• Daniil Voevodin (Rubin Tyumen) — Opened the third-period scoring spree with a power-play equaliser 48 seconds in, assisted by Pavel Meshkov.
• Yegor Ivanov (Rubin Tyumen) — Sealed the win with a fifth goal at 17:07.
• Sergei Borisov (Gornyak-UGMK) — Scored the opening goal on the power play and was a constant threat in the first period.

Player of the Match: Ilya Loza (Rubin Tyumen) — his go-ahead goal was the moment the game swung.

Rubin's period-by-period scoring tells the story: 0 goals in the first, 1 in the second, 4 in the third. The home side converted two power-play opportunities in the final frame, underlining a sharp improvement in discipline and execution after the break. Gornyak controlled the first 40 minutes, leading 2-1 through 40, but could not sustain their structure against Rubin's third-period surge. The 5-3 scoreline flatters Gornyak slightly — Rubin scored four consecutive goals before the visitors' late consolation.

This was the first of two pre-season friendlies between the VHL clubs (Rubin also won the second match 4-3 on 2 August). Both teams are building toward the 2026/27 VHL regular season, which typically begins in early September. Rubin's ability to turn a deficit into a comfortable win — particularly on special teams — will be a positive sign for head coach and staff as they finalise the roster.

Gornyak-UGMK, based in Verkhnyaya Pyshma (Sverdlovsk Oblast), will look to tighten their third-period play after conceding four goals in the final frame. Their next pre-season fixture was a second meeting with Rubin on 2 August.

A pre-season friendly that followed a familiar pattern: an early lead for the away side, a fightback, and a dominant third-period turnaround from the home team. Rubin's power-play efficiency in the final frame was the decisive factor. Gornyak will take positives from the first 40 minutes but have clear defensive work to do before the real season begins.