Press releases

MINSK, 14 April (BelTA) – The Belarus president’s team has won the national ice hockey competitions among amateurs for the ninth time, BelTA informs.

In today’s second leg of the final series, the president’s team beat rivals from Minsk Oblast 6-2 at Chizhovka Arena. The team earlier secured a 12-8 first-leg win in Molodechno on 7 April.

Andrei Mikhalev was named the most valuable player on the president’s team. Dmitry Duben was the best performer on the losing side.

This season the president’s team claimed six victories in six matches: 10-5 over Minsk Oblast, 6-0 over Vitebsk Oblast, 3-2 over Gomel Oblast, 11-6 over Grodno Oblast, 10-5 over Mogilev Oblast, and 8-4 over Brest Oblast. They defeated rivals from Brest 9-4 once again in the semifinal.

Individual awards were given to the best goalkeeper (Mikhail Motsar, Gomel Oblast), defender (Denis Grot, Minsk Oblast), forward (Gennady Savilov, the president’s team). The best striker was Pavel Bely (Gomel region) who finished with 19 points (5 goals + 14 assists).

The medal winners and the champions were awarded by Minsk Mayor Andrei Shorets, Chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation Semen Shapiro, and Sports and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk.

Third place went to Gomel Oblast athletes who beat the Brest Oblast team 3-0 in the consolation game.

To date, the Belarus president’s team has won the tournament eight times (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 204, 2015, 2016, and 2017). Gomel Oblast celebrated victory in 2009. Minsk Oblast claimed the title in 2013.

The 11th national amateur ice hockey competitions were organized by the President’s Sports Club, the Sports and Tourism Ministry, the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, and Minsk City Hall.