BelSwissBank Cup - Belarus wins home opener

Switzerland - Slovakia 1:3

In the opening game of the BelSwissBank Cup in Minsk Switzerland faced a rival which has been uncomfortable for them in recent test games. Against Slovakia the Swiss national team lost already their fourth game in five matches between the two countries in less than two years. Everything had started well for Switzerland as Damien Brunner opened the score for his team late in the second period. Both goalies - Tobias Stephan and Peter Hamerlik - did a good job and so the score stayed low. Despite having had the better opportunities before, Slovakia did need only 29 seconds of the third to turn the game around completely by goals from Juraj Mikus and Rastislav Spirko. Juraj Mikus was the man of the day on Slovakia's side as he also managed to score the 3-1 in an empty-net try with 15 seconds left to play. With two goals and one assists he was decisive in all three goals of his team.    

Belarus - Germany 4:0

Team Belarus had a comfortable win against a weak German team. Andrei Stepanov with a shorthanded goal brought the home side in front in the 12th minute. The win for Belarus was made perfect in a four minute span in the second period when Anatoli Protasenya (25.), again Andrei Stepanov (27.) and Aleksei Kalyuzhny (29.) - this time in power play - made it 4-0 even before "half time". Belarus goalie Andrei Mezin earned a shutout by denying all 22 shots of the German team which stayed goalless for the first time in 15 matches and received the highest defeat since their 2-8 loss against the later gold medal winner Canada at the Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010.

Tomorrow Switzerland will face their northern neighbours Germany in the game for the third place while Belarus and Slovakia will decide the tournament in the final.

 

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