Student Hockey Challenge 2018 in Krasnoyarsk
Teams of Florida Gulf Coast University (USA) and Dynamo from the Barnaul Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia met on the ice of the Pervomaysky Ice Arena at 11 a.m. The first lead was taken by the American player Trevor McClean Mullaly in the final seconds of the fifth minute. However, three minutes later Maxim Mashoshin, a Dynamo’s attacker tied it up. After that hockey players from Barnaul left no chances for the opponents to win and stroke their cage six more times. Dynamo won the game with the score 1:7.
SHL West (Russia) and UK Praha (Czech Republic) were the next to meet on the Pervomaysky Ice Arena at 2:30 p.m. By the end of the second period, the team of Student Hockey League had a strong lead in the game with a score 4:0. Jan Valder scored a goal between the pipes of the opponent but it made no difference for the game’s result. The game ended with a defeat of UK Praha with a score 1:5.
Crystal Ice Arena hosted a game between two universities – University of Mateja Bela (Slovakia) and Derzhavin Tambov State University (Russia) that started at 4:00 p.m. The Slovaks whitewashed the Derzhavin’s hockey players with a score 3:0. Robert Mendel got on the scoresheet by scoring two goals to the cage of the Russian team.
Shortly before the ending game of the first day, a solemn Opening Ceremony of the Student hockey challenge took place. After a spectacular laser show dedicated to the Winter Universiade 2019 teams participating in the tournament were introduced to the spectators. Sergey Alekseev, the Acting Minister of Sport of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Anton Khramtsov, the Managing Director of the Student Hockey League of Russia, Paul Herbert, the President of the American University Hockey League, and Yaroslav Straka, the President of European University Hockey League, performed with their welcome speeches within the ceremony.
“I would like to notice that this is the first tournament eight teams participate in. The strongest student teams came here. The meeting is, first of all, a result of a productive collaboration between the leagues. I believe in professionalism and I am sure that the tournament in Krasnoyarsk will be held at a very high level. Those players who prove themselves to be good in games have all the chances to sign professional contracts and continue their career. At the moment, some players are already included in the list of candidates to be a part of the Russian national team but we will follow their performance during this season. I reckon that the most talented players from the student clubs have a good opportunity to participate in the forthcoming Games‘, commented Anton Khramtsov.
“I am impressed by the Crystal Ice Arena. I want to thank everybody for the work done. I saw some photos before we came here but I could not even expect how big the venue is. It really fascinates!”, noticed Yaroslav Starka.
After the Opening Ceremony, a game between SHL East, a team of the Russian Student Hockey League, and ACHA from the American Collegiate Student Association started. The first goal to the opponent team’s cage was scored by the Americans three minutes after the beginning. The Russians answered only in the second period: Mark Pechora settled the score. Three goals scored by the SHL East’s forward in the third period determined the result of the game. The final game of the first tournament day ended with a score 4:1 in favour of the Russian team.
Let us notice that games of the Student hockey challenge group stage continue tomorrow. Crystal Ice Arena hosts contests between the team of the American Collegiate Student Association (ACHA) and UMP team (Slovakia) and between the Russian teams Derzhava and SHL East. In Pervomaysly you can witness how the Czech UK Praha meets FGCU (USA) and SHL West fights against Dynamo form Barnaul. The full schedule of the tournament and results of the finished games are available on the Winter Universiade 2019 official website.
Tickets for the „Student hockey challenge“ tournament can be purchased at the Winter Universiade 2019 Ticket Center (2 B Mira Ave., Krasnoyarsk) as well as on the Games official website and by phone of the ticket operator 8-800-707-06-19. What is more, tickets are sold at the cash desk of the Crystal Ice Arena (42 Partizana Zheleznyaka) that is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. without breaks and days off.
Please note that personal transport passage in the territory of Crystal Ice Arena is limited on the days of the tournament. The organisers advise all guests arriving in cars to utilise intercept parking lot near Aviator shopping centre and further get to the ice arena on a free shuttle, which one can take at the bus stop called 29 Aviatorov Street. The shuttles start running 2 hours before the first game and stop an hour after the last game, the time interval will be 15 minutes. Public transport is another way to get to Crystal Ice Arena, the closest bus stops are Siberia Exhibition and Business Centre and Central Market of the Sovetsky District (Oktyabrskayay Street).
