President’s ice hockey team started new season with victory
The hockey team of the President of Belarus started the new season victoriously, BelTA reports
On October 21st, the Head of State’s squad beat the Brest Region team in the first match of the Republican Hockey League on the ice of Minsk’s Olympic Arena – 7:2 (3:1, 0:0, 4:1).
The President’s team started the first match of the new season in an attacking style, and within half a minute Maksim Parfeevets scored the first goal. The guests responded with sharp counterattacks, though unsuccessful. In the very middle of the first period, the hosts carried out a spectacular combination, which was completed by Aleksei Shantyka’s exact kick. Soon the Brest Region team gained a numerical advantage, which was quickly realised by Pavel Stepanov, but then Artem Karkotsky scored the third goal against the Brest team. After the break, the game was equal, with the rivals carrying out many attacks, but the goalkeepers were at their best and did not allow the attackers to score. Anyway, in the final third of the match, spectators saw five goals scored. In the President’s team, Aleksei Shantyka and Artem Karkotsky scored doubles; moreover, Andrei Kostitsyn and Nikolay Stasenko also scored. Aleksandr Lukashenko earned two assistant points. The guests responded with an accurate shot from Viktor Artyushenko. The best players of the match were the winners’ goalkeeper Stepan Goryachevskikh and Brest team forward Pavel Stepanov. The prizes were presented to them by Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir Kukharev.
According to a long-established tradition, during the breaks of the hockey match, the audience saw performances by Belarusian pop singers. Moreover, the most active fans took part in competitions right on the ice, with winners being presented with prizes from the President’s Sports Club. Other fans were not left without gifts either; immediately after the end of the meeting they were given dozens of soft toys from the players of the President’s team. Moreover, Dinamo Moscow young hockey players, who are competing in an international tournament in Minsk, presented Aleksandr Lukashenko with their famous club’s jersey.
The President’s team is a 14-time winner of the National Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament, with hockey players from the Gomel and Minsk regions also claiming one title each. In the final series of last season, the Head of State’s ice hockey team beat the Minsk Region squad twice – 6:1 and 6:4. Bronze awards were earned by hockey players from the Brest Region, who defeated the Gomel Region team in the match for third place – 5:3.
The organisers of the amateur hockey tournament are the President’s Sports Club, the Sports and Tourism Ministry and the Minsk City Executive Committee.
