Reaction after Russia W played Belarus U18

Following the match against Belarus U18 (1:4) at the President's Sporting Club Cup in Minsk, representatives of the senior Russian women's national team shared their feelings.

Russia W head coach Alexander Zybin:

- I liked our performance overall. We played against a strong, mobile Belarusian side, they can skate and shoot well. We held on for half of the game. Given that the Belarusians are good at attacking, we had told our players to be careful in defence, and I think that we managed to defend solidly for 30 of the 60 minutes. Unfortunately, though, we subsequently became fatigued. This competition is a great experience for us.

Russia W forward Alexandra Vafina:

- The Belarusian coach said that we caused them problems? It's great to here that! We tried our best. Yes, the Belarusians were faster than us, but we didn't lose out in terms of the duels across the ice. I would like to thank those who are responsible for allowing us to compete at this tournament, this is a really useful experience for us. Furthermore, we have to note that the opponents played in accordance with the rules and didn't land any hits - even when they had the opportunity to do so.

Russia W goalkeeper Darya Gredzen:

- It was a really tough match for us, the opponents were quicker than us. Nevertheless, our girls tried their best, and they even managed to score a nice goal towards the end of the game.

Russia W defender Nina Pirogova:

- We are grateful that we were invited to this competition. At our training camp, we had been warned that it was going to be a difficult tournament for us, the opponents are all physically strong and have excellent technical skills. It's an opportunity for us to grow as players, and I think that we are progressing with every passing game.