Mayberry congratulates Jamaica Ice Hockey on good start to Challenge Cup

Mayberry Investments Limited is incredibly proud to celebrate the successful first-leg campaign of the Jamaica Ice Hockey Team, having proudly supported the national squad with a US$5,000 title sponsorship. The matches for the first leg of the Challenger Series were played from May 7-10 in Chicago at the Fifth Third Arena. 

Following a thrilling and rigorous weekend of ice hockey, Jamaica and Greece are joint at the top of the table after the conclusion of the first leg. The Jamaican team opened the tournament on Thursday May 7 against defending champions Greece. Jamaica quickly established a commanding 7-1 lead by the end of the second period before Greece came into their own in the third, but Jamaica held their ground to secure a 7-5 victory. 

The game was remarkable for the fact that Jamaica’s seven goals were scored by seven different individuals, an indication of the depth of the team.  

On May 8, the team faced Caribbean neighbours Puerto Rico. Despite a gallant effort in the third and final period where they scored two unanswered goals, Jamaica ultimately suffered a 6-2 defeat to a resurgent Puerto Rican side. However, the team brilliantly recovered their form for their third and final game on Saturday against a traditionally tough Lebanon side. 

Jamaica outplayed their opponents, outscoring Lebanon 2-1 in the final period to skate out as convincing 6-2 winners. 

The Chicago leg of the tournament highlighted several standout individual performances; Captain Taos Jordan emerged as Jamaica's best goalscorer with four goals across the three games, which included leading the scoring against Lebanon with a hat trick. Goalkeeper Tyler Krivtsov was voted player of the match in both the winning games against Greece and Lebanon, for making some excellent saves throughout. 

The Jamaican team also concluded the leg having the fewest goals scored against them.  

Expressing her excitement regarding the partnership and the team's success, Desiree Wheeler, marketing manager at Mayberry Investments Limited, shared: " We are immensely proud of the Jamaica Ice Hockey Team's stellar performance in Chicago. Our title sponsorship is a reflection of our deep belief in these athletes and their historic journey towards the Winter Olympic Games. Seeing them finish joint top of the table is a testament to the resilience of our people, and we are thrilled to support them as they build momentum for the next round."

Don Anderson, president of the Jamaican Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF), also added: "Mayberry's commitment to our team came at a pivotal moment. The players were incredibly motivated to reclaim the Challenger Series trophy we won in 2024, and this generous sponsorship not only facilitated our journey to Chicago, but also fuelled our broader ambition of seeing Jamaica represented in ice hockey at the Winter Olympic Games. We have proven once again that we can compete with the best, and we are now fully focused on carrying this momentum forward."

The team will next line up in in Montreal in their quest to reclaim the Challenger Series trophy.