After dropping their first game in Jyväskylä by one goal, Zug came up with a big 3-2 win in Grodno on Sunday. Now if they can beat the Belarusian squad again at home, they’ll put themselves in good position toward advancing.

“It was a tight game. I think the score is a good indication of how hard both teams fought for the win,” Zug coach Harold Kreis said after the win in Grodno, while also noting Neman’s strong power play, which scored two goals. On the atmosphere in Grodno compared to what he expects at home, Kreis added: “We’re used to active fans. Our fans at home are also very active.”

“I think tonight’s game showed us we can compete against teams like Zug,” said Neman coach Sergei Pushkov, who is confident his team can gain back the three points they lost by winning in Zug. “We weren’t lucky tonight, but we have more games to come. First, we need to learn from tonight’s game.”