December 17, 19:45, Elektrenai, Elektrenai Ice Arena.
Oleg Tymchenko’s side returns to action after the international break. During the pause, Nazar Boiko helped Ukraine’s U20 national team retain their place in Division IA of the World Championship, and Janis Voris represented Latvia at a tournament in Slovakia (a win over Norway and a loss to the hosts). In contrast, the Ukrainian senior national team, featuring Denys Honcharenko, recorded three victories over Romania.
The rest of the team, with Voris rejoining after his return, participated in the Elite Ice Challenge charity match, where they defeated the amateur selection, Enthusiasts, 8:3. In that game, American forward Greg Betzold, who is currently on a try-out, made his scoring debut for the Kyiv Capitals.
The Lithuanian side, meanwhile, had virtually no break. A week ago, they suffered a 2:8 loss to Prizma, but last Sunday, they bounced back with a 5:3 victory over Panter.
The teams have yet to meet in Elektrenai, but they played twice in Latvia at the end of September. On both occasions, the Capitals came out on top, winning 7:2 and 3:2.
Statistically, the standout player for Arunas Aleinikovas’ team is Aivaras Bendzius, who has recorded 15 points (6+9). For the Kyiv side, the leader remains Martins Karsums with 31 points (11+20).
So, we eagerly await our team’s return to the ice.
