MINSK, 12 April (BelTA) – The Belarus President's ice hockey team beat HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl veterans 9-7 (3-3, 3-2, 3-2) in a friendly on 11 April, BelTA has learned.
Many well-known players took to the ice of Chizhovka Arena, including forward Vladimir Tsyplakov and defenseman Andrei Sobolev. The visiting team comprised Ilya Gorokhov, Konstantin Rudenko, Anton But, Aleksei Gorshkov, and Andrei Kovalenko, nicknamed as “Russian tank” by foreign rivals. Taking part in the match was also Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Dmitry Mironov, a long-standing hockey fan.
The teams scored three times each in the action-packed opening period. In the middle stanza Alexander Lukashenko assisted Andrei Astashevich, who scored four times during the match. Alexander Lukashenko ended the game with one goal and two assists. The Belarusian head of state scored early in the final period.
Sergei Lukichev and Valentin Lepikhov (both – Lokomotiv Yaroslavl) and Andrei Astashevich and Yaroslav Chupris (both - Belarus) were named the best players of the match. The players received the prizes from Chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Semyon Shapiro.
Alexander Lukashenko presented every player with souvenirs and received HC Lokomotiv jersey from Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Dmitry Mironov.
The game wrapped up with a group photo.
HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team of veterans take a regular part in various international tournaments and are the winner of the 2012 Pavol Demitra Memorial Tournament in Slovakia and Carha World Cup 2016 in Windsor, Canada.
