The Almaty side confidently defeated Shakhter in Karaganda. With this result, they secured the gold medals two rounds before the end of the championship, becoming unreachable for Astana.
The match ended 2:8. Milena Nikolenko scored four goals, Zhanya Makhash added one goal and three assists, while Sofia Yagudina registered 1+2. Angelina Oster and Aru Yermagambetova also netted a goal each. Shakhter responded only with a brace from Damira Maksat.
In the parallel game, Irtysh beat Tobol, gaining a four-point advantage over their rivals in the race for the bronze medals.
Astana will play their match on Friday – if they beat Ordabasy, the capital’s team will secure the silver medals of the tournament ahead of schedule.