Mogo/RSU on Wednesday defeated Kyiv Capitals 6–5 at their home Mogo Hall in the fifth semifinal game of the Optibet Hockey League, taking the lead in the series. Goals for Mogo/RSU were scored by Rolands Vasiļjevs, Niks Feņenko, Jānis Zemītis, Deivids Sarkanis, Renarts Bērziņš and Gints Meija.
In the fifth game of the semifinal series, Kārlis Mežsargs returned to the Mogo/RSU goal, while Kyiv Capitals’ net, as in the fourth match, was guarded by Jānis Voris. In the opening minutes, Rolands Vasiļjevs shot at the visitors’ goal from a sharp angle, Deivids Sarkanis tested Voris’ alertness, and the puck went over the goal after a shot by Aleksandrs Biškins. At the other end, Renārs Cipruss took two shots from good positions in a short span – the first went wide, the second was caught by Mežsargs. In the 14th minute of the game, Mogo/RSU took the lead. After a pass from Krišjānis Rēdlihs from the middle of the zone, Vasiļjevs made an accurate shot. Four minutes later, the home team increased their lead. After a shot by Jānis Zemītis, the puck reached Niks Feņenko, who got in front of the net and beat Voris for the second time.
At the beginning of the second period, following a penalty by Kristaps Sotnieks, Capitals players got a power-play opportunity, which the visitors managed to convert. Daniils Carkovskis passed to the middle of the zone, where Sems Hu beat Mežsargs with a precise shot. Ivan Shamardin received a 2+2 minute penalty for dangerous high-sticking. After a longer battle along the right boards, Māris Bičevskis and Renarts Bērziņš moved the puck to the opposite side of the ice, where Zemītis skated closer to the net and accurately shot into the top corner – 3:1. Not even a full minute had passed when Vladimirs Zaicevs found Gatis Sprukts with a long pass, he delivered the puck to Sarkanis, and Deivids, skating one-on-one against Voris, shifted the puck to his backhand and scored into the top corner. Eduards Jansons reduced the deficit once again, but Mogo/RSU responded to Kyiv’s goal with accurate shots from Renarts Bērziņš and Gints Meija, forcing the visitors to change their goaltender – Voris was replaced by Nazars Boiko. The next three pucks went into the home team’s net. From the right circle, Carkovskis scored accurately, after his shot Mežsargs made a save but Daniils Fursa sent the rebound into the empty corner, and after a pass from Jansons, the puck went into the net off Lauris Bajaruns’ stick, with the home team heading into the second break with a one-goal lead – 6:5.
Before the start of the third period, the home team also made a goaltending change, with Henrijs Ančs replacing Mežsargs. The experienced goalkeeper immediately had to show his skill after shots by Fursa, Carkovskis and Bajaruns. At the other end, Vasiļjevs missed the net from a good position, and after a shot by Želubovskis, the puck was stopped by Boiko. In the final minutes of the game, Ančs was also in place after shots from Jansons and Edmunds Augstkalns from the blue line. Capitals replaced Boiko with a sixth skater, but Mogo/RSU held their lead, securing a 6–5 victory and taking a 3–2 lead in the series.
On Friday, April 3 at 19:00 at Inbox.lv Hall, Mogo/RSU and Kyiv Capitals will play the sixth game of the semifinal series.
Source: mogohalle.lv
(Translated using artificial intellect tool)
About Mogo/RSU
Founded in 2014, Mogo/RSU has become one of the strongest and most decorated hockey clubs in Latvia. The team won the Latvian championship in its very first season and repeated the achievement in 2019, 2024, and 2025. From 2016 to 2017, Mogo/LSPA claimed the Latvian Cup three years in a row, defeating HK Kurbads in each final. The founder and president of Mogo/RSU is Māris Martinsons, who is also a board member of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. The team’s head coach is former Latvian national team player Ģirts Ankipāns. Mogo/RSU’s general manager since the club’s first day is Elviss Želubovskis, who continues to represent the team on the ice as well.
