The break for the matches of the youth national team of Ukraine in the Division B of the World Cup is nearing its conclusion. Now, let’s take a closer look at the individual and team statistics of Vadym Shakhraichuk’s team as they approach the final matches in 2023.
Tournament Standing
Prior to the final matches of the year, Vadym Shakhraichuk’s team, the Capitals, held the third position in the tournament. They accumulated a total of 32 points from 14 matches played. As of now, the Capitals are trailing behind the Falcons by four points (after playing 16 games) and Kremenchuk by two points (after playing 17 games).
Thrown Pucks
According to this indicator, the Capitals are currently ranked third, having outscored their opponents 75 times in fourteen matches with an average of 5.4 goals per game. Higher in this ranking are two teams – Sokil with 78 goals and Kremenchuk with 102 goals.
Debut Victory in the Championship Match
The Capitals achieved a remarkable milestone in their debut at the official level during the 2nd round match against Trident. Led by coach Vadym Shakhraichuk, the team showcased their exceptional skills and determination by scoring an impressive ten goals. Additionally, goalkeeper Borys Babik displayed outstanding performance by successfully guarding the team’s goal throughout the match. This victory marked a historic moment for the Capitals and set a promising tone for their future endeavors in the championship.
The Most Crushing Victory
In a thrilling matchup, the Kyiv Capitals recently hosted the Kharkiv Berserks at the Kyiv Palace of Sports. This highly anticipated game concluded with an exceptional victory for the Kyiv Capitals, achieving a remarkable scoreline of 13:0. This outstanding result now stands as an unparalleled record in the illustrious history of our esteemed men’s team.
Jubilee Victory
On December 3rd, just before the international break, the Kyiv Capitals made history by achieving a double-digit number of victories. This remarkable feat took place on the ice of the Kyiv Sports Palace during their match against Kremenchuk, resulting in a thrilling 2:1 victory for the Capitals.
The Best Snipers
Currently, in the championship, two hockey players are tied for first place in terms of goals scored. Vitalii Lialka from Kremenchuk has managed to catch up with Yaroslav Panchenko, the top scorer for the Capitals, thanks to their dominant victories over the Tryzub team. Both players have scored a total of 19 goals each. It is worth noting that Panchenko only failed to score in two matches so far – the first round against Dnipro and the eighth round against Sokil. However, during their second-round encounter with Tryzub, Panchenko had an exceptional performance, scoring a poker. Apart from Yaroslav, Andrii Kryvonozhkin and Danylo Tyshchenko have also reached double digits in terms of goals scored, as both players have found the back of the net 10 times each.
The Best Assistants
The leader in this category is our club’s experienced captain, Serhii Chernenko, who has contributed with an impressive 18 assists. While Chernenko has had more matches without assists compared to Panchenko’s goalless matches, he has also achieved two remarkable assist pokers – during the 2nd round match against Tryzub and the victorious encounter against Dnipro. Other notable contributors in terms of assists include Mykyta Oliynyk with 16, Vladyslav Kutsevych with 13, Mykola Dvornyk with 12, and Yaroslav Panchenko with 10. It is worth mentioning Oliynyk’s exceptional performance during the 6th round match against Tryzub, where he provided an extraordinary 6 assists to his teammates.
Work of Goalkeepers
The talented Slovak goalie Boris Babik participated in 13 matches throughout the season. Impressively, he managed to secure three shutouts, keeping a clean sheet against Tryzub (10:0), Kharkiv Berserks (6:0), and Kremenchuk (6:0). Additionally, he had a joint «dry» match with Nazar Boykо in a dominant victory against Kharkiv Berserks with a score of 13:0.
It’s worth mentioning that Babik showcased outstanding performances in the matches against Sokil and Kremenchuk. Despite the team losing 2:3 in a shootout series in the 8th round, Babik made an impressive 41 saves. Similarly, in the match against Kremenchuk, despite a 2:5 loss, he made 40 saves. These remarkable displays demonstrate his exceptional skills and dedication to the game.
Furthermore, we must highlight Babik’s exceptional contributions in the victorious home matches against Kremenchuk. He made 36 and 35 saves respectively in these games, which ultimately led to him being recognized as the best player of those matches.
Goal+Pass
Yaroslav Panchenko, our team’s top scorer, leads the list with an impressive 29 points (19 goals + 10 assists). Joining him in the top five are Serhii Chernenko (22 points: 4 goals + 18 assists), Vladyslav Kutsevych (21 point: 8 goals + 13 assists), Mykola Dvornyk (19 points: 7 goals + 12 assists), and Mykyta Oliynyk (18 points: 2 goals + 16 assists).
We are excited to continue following the achievements of the Kyiv Capitals!