Orsk's Yuzhny Ural Snaps Losing Streak with First 2026 Victory
Orsk«s Yuzhny Ural has finally managed to win after the season restart in the VHL (Supreme Hockey League). In the new year of 2026, Vladislav Otmakhov»s team lost the opening match (though it promised to please its fans), and lost in overtime to Yugra, and suffered a 1:6 defeat from Tyumen«s Rubin, lost to Zauralie and Omskie Krylia (even on the day of the club»s foundation), and now — the long-awaited victory over Buran. We tell how it happened.
For the match against the Voronezh team, Yuzhny Ural head coach Vladislav Otmakhov chose Alexei Snytko as the backup goalie, who joined the team after a trade with Samara«s CSK VVS (Danila Ovcharik went the other way).
The first period saw even play: both teams took one penalty each (for YU — Klimenty Shindyaev for interference), and the spectators at Yubileiny even saw one goal scored, but the visitors« goal was disallowed as a Buran player lifted his stick clearly higher than allowed. The result of the first half of the game was a scoreless draw.
The second period turned out to be the most productive in the match. At its very start, Klimenty Shindyaev again went to the penalty box for 2 minutes for slashing, but on the contrary, it helped Yuzhny Ural.
Alexander Putilov «robbed» a Buran defenseman on his own blue line, broke away on a breakaway, closed in on the goalie and, shifting the puck to his backhand, sent it into the net — 1:0, a shorthanded goal!
The visitors did not mourn for long. Just 14 seconds later, they capitalized on the power play: from a pass by Ivan Detkov the puck was sent into Sergei Kudryavtsev«s net by Japanese player Yu Sato — 1:1.
A few minutes later, it was Sato who went to «rest» for 2 minutes for tripping, and Yuzhny Ural capitalized on this power play. Semyon Rubtsov, who cycled to the right corner of the rink, passed the puck to Ivan Krylov, and the defenseman, seeing that the goalie was screened by a YU player, took a long-range wrist shot — and scored, 2:1!
4.5 minutes later, Buran again «earned» a shorthanded situation, and Yuzhny Ural coolly capitalized on this numerical advantage too. And as if from a mirror copy: Daniel Kulyash moved from the left corner of the rink and slid the puck to the same Ivan Krylov, who one-timed it past the goalie screened by Konstantin Suslov — 3:1, a brace for the Orsk defenseman!
After this goal, Buran changed goalies — instead of Mikhail Isaev, Vladislav Okoryak took to the ice. With that, the second period came to an end — 3:1.
In the third period, the hosts had another chance to play on the power play (unconverted), and the visitors tried to come back, calling a timeout and replacing the goalie with a sixth skater, but the spectators (including Orsk Mayor Artem Vorobyov) saw no more goals scored.
3:1 — the long-awaited victory for Yuzhny Ural, which left the last place in the VHL standings and has every chance to rise a bit higher. But the playoff zone is still far away.
— I want to congratulate Orsk fans with this victory. Thank them for the support and for believing until the end in our game and in our successes. The guys today did everything possible to win. The play in special teams decided the outcome of the match. Everyone — great job. We are preparing for the next games, — said YU head coach Vladislav Otmakhov.
Yuzhny Ural continues its homestand: until January 26, Rostov and Tambov will also visit the Orsk ice.
