Rodina began the year with a defeat.

      In the first match after the New Year break, Kirov’s Rodina hosted Arkhangelsk’s Vodnik, the silver medalist of last season’s championship. Kirov fans had missed bandy, so more than two thousand spectators filled the stands. The game was played in heavy snowfall, which inevitably affected the teams’ play. Thus, by halftime they had scored only twice – 1:1. The second half was not much more productive. Immediately after the break Rodina took the lead, but the visitors, in the closing stages, were able not only to equalize but also to go ahead. The final minutes saw our players on the attack, but they could not even salvage a draw. The result was a 2:3 defeat. In the standings Rodina still remains in the playoff zone.