On April 14 in Yerevan, the key match of the second round of the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship (Division IV) took place. Two main contenders of the tournament — Armenia and Uzbekistan — faced off on the ice.
Before the tournament, Uzbekistan was considered the top favorite for the title, but Armenia pulled off a sensational victory in a shootout. This win greatly increases Armenia's chances of finishing first and earning promotion to Division III-B.
The regular time ended with a 2–2 draw. For Armenia, Sergei Khudyakov and Maksim Kuznetsov scored the goals, both assisted by Samvel Davtyan. For Uzbekistan, Pavel Sinyavskiy and Javohir Rasulov found the net.
In overtime, it was Valentin Kovalenko who sealed the victory with the winning goal. However, the true hero of the match was Armenian goalkeeper Artyom Putulyan, who made 57 saves and kept the team in the game during critical moments.
After two rounds, Armenia leads the standings with 5 points and has excellent chances of winning the tournament.
Second round results:
-
Armenia – Uzbekistan 3:2 (shootout)
-
Iran – Malaysia 5:1
-
Kuwait – Indonesia 15:6
Recall that in the first match, Armenia defeated Malaysia with a dominant 24:3 scoreline.