MINSK, 1 November (BelTA) – The hockey team of the President of Belarus was off to a triumphant start in the new, 19th season of the Republican Hockey League (RHL), BelTA has learned.
The president’s team defeated the team of Mogilev Oblast 9-3 (3-1, 4-2, 2-0) in its first match at the Olympic Arena in Minsk on 1 November.
The reigning RHL champions started the match at full speed, with Aleksei Yefimenko scoring in the 3rd minute. Soon after, Matvei Vinkevich equalized, but by the first break Nikolai Lukashenko and Nikita Drozdov struck twice more to give the hosts a 3-1 lead. The second period began with a surprise: within 4 minutes, Matvei Vinkevich and Leonid Olkhovoi leveled the score at 3-3. The home side, unhappy with the turn of events, responded with goals from Aleksei Baranov, Andrei Mikhalyov, Yaroslav Chupris, and Artyom Karkotsky to surge ahead 7-3. In the final third, Nikolai Lukashenko netted his second of the night, and Oleg Antonenko sealed the outcome, setting the final score at 9-3.
Today's MVPs are Yaroslav Chupris and Oleg Frolov.
For the first time, unique prizes were raffled among fans: a puck and a hockey stick signed by Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Earlier, at the start of the current season, three other matches were played: the team of Gomel Oblast vs. the team of Minsk Oblast (1-10), the team of Brest Oblast vs. the team of Vitebsk Oblast (21-1), and the team of Mogilev Oblast vs the team of Gomel Oblast (2-4).
Last season, the Belarus President’s team won the Republican Hockey League for the 16th time, while ice hockey players of Gomel Oblast and Minsk Oblast have won the championship once each.
The amateur ice hockey tournament is organized by the Presidential Sports Club, the Sport and Tourism Ministry and the Minsk City Hall.
Photos by Yan Gorbanyuk, Sergei Shelega/ BelTA
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