Vadym Shakhraichuk’s wards lost in match against the bronze medalist of the previous season – «Dnipro» Kherson on their own ice.
Kyiv Capitals (Kyiv) – Dnipro (Kherson) – 1:3 (0:1, 1:1, 0:1)
Pucks: 0:1 – Stotskyi (Kryklіa, Sydorenko), 19:42; 1:1 – Tyshchenko (Dvornyk), 30:52; 1:2 – Sydorenko (Kryklіa, majority), 33:55; 1:3 – Aleksіuk (Sydorenko, Stetsіura), 57:11
Kyiv Capitals: Borіs Babik; Kostyantyn Rіabenko – Eetu Moksunen, Vladyslav Kutsevуch – Serhiі Chernenko – Yaroslav Panchenko; Pavlo Taran – Denys Khonin, Andriі Kryvonozhkin – Yevhen Sekirko – Mykyta Oliynyk; Tуmur Lapko – Valentуn Sirchenko, Oleksandr Koida – Mykola Dvornyk – Danylo Tyshchenko; Anton Sychynskyi – Dmytro Utukin, Oleksandr Dreval – Oleksandr Valkun – Denуs Plesovskуkh
Head coach: Vadym Shakhraichuk
Dnipro: Eduard Zakharchenko; Anton Stotskyi – Yevhen Ratushnyi, Mykyta Sydorenko, Illіa Kryklіa – Serhii Stetsyura; Mykyta Liesnikov – Valentin Aleksiuk, Dmytro Kobylnyk – Serhii Poimanov – Dmytro Poperezhai; Artem Portnoy – Ruslan Boyko, Illia Shcherbak – Mykhailo Tsiura – Dmytro Masiuk; Arsenii Oliynyk – Kyrylo Bortnikov, Oleg Palamarchuk – Kostyantyn Yatsenko – Anatolii Revuka
Head coach: Oleksandr Bobkin
As was already noted in the preview before this game, it was the confrontation between the Kherson and Kyiv teams that had the status of the central match of the first round. We don’t know how the other matches will go, but this one was very interesting for hockey audience.
In the break between the Cup of Ukraine and the championship, Kyiv Capitals had more ice work, which encouraged many experts to give a slight advantage in predictions to Vadym Shakhraichuk’s wards. However, there weren`t any doubts about the strength and class of the team from Kherson, because Dnipro has more experience as about participating in the championships of Ukraine and won bronze medals last season.
Both opponents had a lot of desire and opportunities to start the opening period successfully, but we saw the first goal taken at the end of the debut twenty minutes. Dnipro carried out a protracted attack, and the Kyivans did not manage to move the threat away from Babik’s possessions. Today’s birthday boy Kryklia turned out to be the most agile on the heel, who rolled the puck to Stotskyi. Anton did not make a mistake and managed to open the score in the meeting.
The second period was the only one during which the audience saw two pucks thrown at once. At first, the Capitals conducted an exemplary fast attack, in which the ex-Khersonians team excelled. Dvornyk organized a 2:1 turn, and Tyshchenko shot the opponents’ possession without problems.
However, before the second break, the «pikes» took the lead again. During the game in majority, Kryklia shot through Babik’s goal, but the goalkeeper of team from Kyiv coped with Illia’s shot. Then, after contact with Kutsevych, the Dnipro striker knocked down the Slovakian goalkeeper, and Sydorenko hit the already unprotected goal. The referees carefully watched the episode in the replay and awarded the puck to the guests.
Almost during the entire third period, the scoreboard maintained a minimal advantage of the «pikes», but the hosts still did not manage to catch up with them. In 58th minute, Oleksandr Bobkin’s wards managed to realize the majority for the second time. And the first link showed their best skills again. Sydorenko skillfully found Aleksiuk in front of Babik’s goal, and Valentin scored the third puck of his team, setting the final score in the match – 3:1.
Thus, it is «Dnipro» that becomes the first team to win in the new season of the Ukrainian hockey championship. The Kherson team will play their next match on October 4, and their opponents will be Kharkiv Berserks. Instead, Kyiv Capitals will meet Tryzub in the derby the next day.
