Molot Perm vs Mamonty Yugry

Mamonty Yugry struck first. In the 4th minute, Andrey Podguzov drove the puck towards goal and Ivan Yanovsky deflected it past the Molot goaltender to open the scoring at 0-1. Molot Perm needed ten minutes to find their rhythm but pulled level in the 14th minute — the equaliser credited to an unrecorded Molot forward, sending the teams to the first intermission at 1-1.

The second period followed a similar pattern. Molot Perm took the lead for the first time at 2-1 in the 9th minute, putting the home side in control. But the advantage lasted barely two minutes. Yelisei Lovtsov pounced on a loose puck off a ricochet in the 11th minute to restore parity at 2-2.

With the game tied entering the third period, the decisive moment came with five minutes left on the clock. Lovtsov positioned himself at the net-front and buried a rebound — his second of the night — to give Mamonty Yugry a 3-2 lead they would not surrender. Molot Perm pushed for an equaliser in the final minutes but Mamonty's defence held firm.

Lovtsov's winner at 55:00 of the third period broke Molot Perm's resistance. Having already rescued his side once in the second period with the equaliser, his persistence on the rebound proved the difference. Molot Perm, who had led twice in the match, could not recover a third time.

• Yelisei Lovtsov (Mamonty Yugry) — Two goals (2nd period equaliser, 3rd period winner). His net-front presence decided the match. Player of the match.
• Ivan Yanovsky (Mamonty Yugry) — Opened the scoring with a well-taken tip-in in the 4th minute and was a constant threat through the first two periods.
• Andrey Podguzov (Mamonty Yugry) — Primary assist on Yanovsky's opening goal and instrumental in build-up play throughout.

Player of the match: Yelisei Lovtsov (Mamonty Yugry)

The period scores (1-1, 1-1, 0-1) reflect an evenly contested match that could have swung any way in each segment. Molot Perm showed resilience in taking the lead twice, but each time Mamonty Yugry responded inside two minutes — a pattern that speaks to the visitors' composure under pressure.

The head-to-head record underscores Mamonty Yugry's dominance in this fixture: 17 wins from 19 meetings since 2012, with Molot Perm managing only 2 victories. The 95% Both Teams to Score rate (18/19 matches) held again, as did the fixture's tendency for goals (Over 2.5 in 18/19).

Mamonty Yugry start the four-team tournament with 3 points and momentum heading into Day 2, where they face tournament hosts Stalnye Lisy on 16 August. Molot Perm, following the narrow defeat, meet Tolpar on the same day needing a result to stay in contention at the Magnitogorsk tournament. With the MHL regular season approaching, both sides are using these fixtures to finalise their rosters and systems.

Mamonty Yugry's composure in front of goal made the difference. Lovtsov's double highlighted a clinical edge that Molot Perm, despite leading twice, could not match. A deserved opening win for the visitors in a tight pre-season affair.