January 14th, 14:00, Odesa, Sports Palace. Broadcast: MEGOGO, YouTube FHU
Vadym Shakhraichuk’s team approaches their first away match against Dnipro with a positive mindset. In the past, unforeseen circumstances have caused delays in the Capitals’ journey to the south of Ukraine. However, this time, they are optimistic that nothing will hinder the upcoming hockey match.
Kyiv Capitals had a successful previous meeting on Thursday, securing a victory at home against Kremenchuk. This win propelled them to the second position in the league standings. Additionally, the team from Kyiv celebrated a monumental achievement as Yaroslav Panchenko, the top scorer for the Capitals, scored his 25th goal of the season, marking team`s 100th goal in the championship.
In a reciprocal encounter, Sokil was met by Dnipro a day prior, seeking revenge for their previous defeat in Odesa back in December. As of now, Oleksandr Bobkin’s team is positioned in fourth place in the standings. It is worth mentioning that the leading goal scorer of the team is none other than Mykyta Sydorenko, who also serves as leader of team from Kherson. Sydorenko managed to secure the sole goal against Oleg Shafarenko’s team, showcasing impressive statistics with 16 goals and 18 assists.
Furthermore, it`s interesting to note that both opponents have played the fewest number of matches in the championship up until now. Dnipro has played 18 matches, while Kyiv Capitals have played 19 games (Berserks-Patriot have the same statistics).
We have to admit that both face-to-face matches between the opponents occurred on the ice of the Kyiv Sports Palace. Both teams achieved one victory each. In the opening match of the championship, pikes secured a 3:1 win, while Capitals sought revenge in the second meeting, triumphing with a score of 7:2. Thus, the match in Odesa holds importance as it may provide an advantage to one of the teams based on their head-to-head victories in the championship.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that in another match of the tour, Berserks-Patriot will host Sokil at their home arena on Monday.