Aisulu Almaty made its first road trip of the EWHL 2021-22 season to Austria to take on the KHV Lakers in the first hockey game of the season for each team on September 14 at Stadthalle Villach, in Villach Austria.
The game was the first of back-to-back games between the two teams, the next on September 18, 2021
The Lakers struck first at 4:35 on a goal by Kelsey Soccio, assisted by Emma Linter and Vanessa Simonis.
That Lakers goal would be the only shot that Almaty goaltender, Arina Chshykolova would let in, as Aisulu Almaty would score five unanswered goals, en route to a 5-1 victory.
Almaty dominated the game after allowing the first goal of the game, outshooting their hosts 38-17 (15-7, 9-8 and 14-2).
Almaty had two goals from Malika Aldabergenova; single goals from Munira Sayakhatkyzy, Larissa Sviridova, and Karina Felzink. Pernesh Ashimova and Madina Tursynova had two assists each, with single helpers coming from Felzink, Roxanne Rioux, Sviridova, and Tatyana Koroleva.
Rioux and Breanna Lynn Berndsen had 6 shots each, followed by 4 shots from Koroleva and Sviridova. Aldabergenova, Tursynova and Sayakhatkyzy registered 3 shots each.
Trail, British Columbia’s Erin Monique McLean was held off the scoresheet, finishing with 2 shots on net.
No Almaty player registered a negative plus/minus with Felzink leading the way with a +3, with four other players with a +2 plus/minus for the game.
Chshykolova stopped 16 of 17 shots for a save percentage of .941 for Aisulu Almaty in her first EWHL league game of the season.
The Lakers were 0 for 3 on the power play while Almaty were 0 for 2 with the man advantage.
