Press releases

MINSK, 5 September (BelTA) – The Belarusian national ice hockey team will not take part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. In the crucial game of the Olympic qualification Dave Lewis’ men lost to Slovenia 2-3 in a shootout, BelTA has learned.

Rok Ticar gave Slovenia a two-goal advantage in the first half of the game. Andrei Stepanov also scored two on the home side. Anze Kopitar and Rok Ticar scored in the shootout to bring their team a victory and clinch a spot in the Olympics.

The final Group D standings: 1. Slovenia – 8 points (3 games played); 2. Belarus – 7 (3); 3. Denmark – 3 (3); 4. Poland – 0 (3).

Belarus played in three Olympics (in Nagano in 1998, Salt Lake City in 2002, and Vancouver in 2010).