The most significant sporting event to date took place on 18 April at the Győr ice rink since it was renamed the Győr University Ice Sports Centre in March: Hungary defeated Norway 5–3 in a preparatory match. Prior to this, the Széchenyi István University team lost the fourth game of the championship final in the Andersen League—Hungary’s second division—but triumphed in Szeged two days later, successfully defending their title.

Széchenyi István University has set a strategic goal to contribute to regional development and wellbeing not only through high-quality education and research but also through its sporting initiatives. In this spirit, the university plays a key role in numerous sports, from handball and water polo to swimming. Since 2021, ice hockey has also been among these. Symbolising the close relationship between the sport and the university, the Győr ice rink—home to the University’s team, Uni Győr ETO HC, as well as curling and skating—has borne the name Győr University Ice Sports Centre since March.

On 18 April, the venue hosted a true celebration of ice hockey. The day began with the fourth match of the championship final between Uni Győr ETO HC, which includes 15 University student players, and Szeged. The best-of-seven series stood at 2–1 in favour of the Győr side, meaning another win would have secured the title in the Andersen League, Hungary’s second division. Although the visiting team equalised the series with a 3–2 win, two days later in Szeged, after a fiercely contested match, Győr clinched the gold medal with a goal in overtime, winning 6–5 and retaining their championship title from the previous year. This marked the second major success of the season for Uni Győr ETO HC, which had earlier achieved Hungary’s best-ever result in the European University Hockey League (EUHL) by reaching the final and securing a silver medal.

 

 

 

The highlight of the day on 18 April was the match between the Hungarian and Norwegian men’s national teams, both preparing for the elite World Championship to be held in Sweden and Denmark from 9 May. This marked the first time that an international ice hockey match was held in Győr. The high-level, hard-fought, sold-out match saw the home team triumph 5–3, bringing great joy to the nearly 1,000 spectators in attendance and to those watching live on M4 Sport television. The match's connection to Széchenyi University extended beyond the venue: the awards for the best players of each team were presented by Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations of the University, and József Bence Szabó, General Secretary of the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation. The honours were awarded to Vilmos Galló from the Hungarian side and Martin Johnsen from the visitors.