SKA-Akademiya vs MHC Spartak

SKA-Akademiya delivered a lightning start. Defender Nikita Lvov opened the scoring just 15 seconds in, finishing from close range off assists from Uglov and Samoylov. The lead doubled at 07:29 when Arutyunov found the net from Nikhukhrin's feed, putting Spartak in a 2-0 hole before the first period was eight minutes old.

Spartak's response came through their captain. At 14:22, Kozhushko stepped up for a penalty shot and converted, cutting the deficit to 2-1 heading into the first intermission. Shots on goal in the opening period told a different story from the scoreboard: Spartak had fired 13 to SKA's 6, a volume advantage that would only grow.

The second period belonged entirely to Spartak. At 26:19, Maxim Seldemirov's cross-crease pass deflected off Stepan Tarasenko's skate and into the net for the equaliser. Then at 33:47, Yegor Kachalov forced a turnover in the offensive zone; Kozhushko collected the loose puck, controlled it with his skate, and wired home the go-ahead goal — his second of the night — to make it 3-2 Spartak.

In the third period, Spartak put the game away. Gleb Pivchulin made it 4-2 at 48:27, redirecting a point shot from Ivan Belugin past goaltender Uvaletov. Just 90 seconds later, Kozhushko completed his hat-trick at 49:57, tipping a shot from Plesovskikh through traffic on the power play. The teams also played a training overtime (won by SKA) and a shootout (drawn, with Spartak's Artyom Korolyov scoring).

Kozhushko's penalty-shot goal at 14:22 of the first period. SKA-Akademiya had controlled the opening 14 minutes, building a 2-0 lead on home ice. The penalty-shot conversion — the first of Kozhushko's three goals — flipped momentum entirely. Spartak outshot SKA 26-10 across the second and third periods combined and never trailed again.

Silantiy Kozhushko (MHC Spartak) — Player of the Match. The Spartak captain scored a natural hat-trick (penalty shot, even-strength, power play) and led the comeback. His three goals came on just five shots on net across the three periods.

Stepan Tarasenko (MHC Spartak) — Scored the crucial 2-2 equaliser early in the second period that restored parity and shifted the psychological advantage entirely to Spartak.

Maxim Seldemirov and Alexander Plesovskikh (MHC Spartak) — Combined for three assists between them, with Seldemirov playing a part in the equaliser and Kozhushko's hat-trick-clinching power-play goal.

Yegor Midlak (MHC Spartak) — The Spartak goaltender settled after a rocky start, finishing with 14 saves on 16 shots. He faced only 3 SKA shots in the third period as Spartak dominated territorially.

Spartak's 39-16 shot advantage (13-13-13 across periods vs. 6-7-3) is the most striking stat of the match. The 23-shot differential reflects a complete territorial takeover after the first 14 minutes. SKA-Akademiya's 2-0 lead came on just 6 first-period shots — efficient finishing, but unsustainable. Spartak's 30 faceoff wins to 25 also suggests they controlled the puck in the middle third, while the even penalty minutes (6-6) indicate discipline was not a factor.

The pattern is clear: Spartak generated relentless offensive pressure (13 shots in every period), while SKA's shot volume collapsed from 6 in the first to 3 in the third as fatigue and defensive pressure mounted.

MHC Spartak notched their second consecutive comeback win at the pre-season N.E. Maslov Memorial Tournament, a strong signal of resilience and depth ahead of the MHL regular season. For SKA-Akademiya (the MHL affiliate of SKA St. Petersburg's system), the loss will be a harsh lesson about closing out games against organised opposition.

Spartak's next match is against SKA-1946 on 4 August 2026 at 19:00 local time at the same venue. SKA-Akademiya face their next tournament fixture on the same day.

A commanding performance from Spartak after a nightmare start. Kozhushko's hat-trick announced him as the tournament's standout forward, while the 39-shot barrage suggests this Spartak side will be a handful in the MHL season ahead.