A vibrant sports event, the Youth Ice Hockey Cup, featuring a match between the Chelyabinsk Region Student Ice Hockey League team and the White Bears Youth Ice Hockey League team of the Traktor Ice Hockey Club system, was held in Chelyabinsk.
The First Deputy Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Stanislav Mosharov addressed the players and fans with a welcome speech:
“It is a very interesting match format. Such a game is organised for the first time. Players of the Youth Ice Hockey League team and the student team meet on ice. Today, youth sports, including ice hockey, are receiving a lot of attention, and this is especially important. I am grateful to the university leaders for their support of student sports and for creating opportunities for the development of young athletes.”
The student ice hockey team included ice hockey players from SUSU, Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University and Ural State University of Physical Education. The SUSU Polytechnic ice hockey team was represented by 13 players: forwards Aleksandr Pogodin, Artem Tarasov, Vladislav Korobchuk, Maksim Shumakov, Leonid Kulishov, Artem Drai, and Lev Panzhaev; defensemen Stepan Kuntsev, Aleksandr Kosenko, Artem Devyatkin, and Kirill Soloviev; and goalkeepers Anton Klimov and Matvey Zubov.
“I would like to congratulate all the participants, organizers, and fans on this wonderful event: the first-ever Youth Ice Hockey Cup in Chelyabinsk! Initiatives like this are invaluable. They clearly demonstrate that our region is creating excellent conditions for the harmonious development of young people, where high athletic achievements go hand in hand with quality education. As a leading university, we are honoured that SUSU students have formed the core of the Chelyabinsk Region team and have represented their universities with dignity on ice against the strong White Bears team. This is the best example for today's students, proof that athletic careers and academic education can successfully complement each other,” noted SUSU Rector Alexander Wagner.
The match was intense and spectacular: students put up a strong fight against the experienced White Bears team. The Bears won the game: 2-3.
“It was not an easy game for us: our opponents are fast, ambitious guys who are eager to prove themselves. But we did not give in: we tried to put up a fight and show that the Student Ice Hockey League is a truly strong league. This is the first time such a match has been organised, and I really hope it will become a tradition. After all, it is important for every team to win having the support of their fans,” shared the Student Ice Hockey League team player Aleksei Sakharov.
At the end of the match, a big-scale giveaway by the event partners KONAR Industrial Group and PAO Chelyabinvestbank, was held for the audience.
The sports event left a lasting impression on both players and fans: the students gained valuable playing experience, and the spectators enjoyed a thrilling sporting spectacle. It is possible that such games will become a new, long-lasting tradition in the ice hockey life of the Chelyabinsk Region.