On Friday the men's ice hockey Erste Liga starts, in which Uni Győr ETO HC  will also participate. The club, which is a strategic partner of Széchenyi István University, will play its first game in Miskolc, at the home of DVTK Jegesmedvék (Polar bears).

"The relationship with Széchenyi University is extremely important and gives us security. We see the institution not only as a sponsor, but also as a long-term partner that is involved in the life of the club off the field. We offer a career model for players who are already playing with us or who join us later on, so that they can not only play hockey at the highest level, but also study at the highest level on a university programme, preparing for life after their hockey career. We want Győr to be the home of as many athletes as possible in the long term," emphasised Péter Boros, Managing Director of ETO Hockey Kft. He added that the minimum target is to finish in the top eight of the 11-team field and thus qualify for the play-offs, but their secret ambition is to reach the semi-finals.

In order to strengthen the cooperation, university students will be able to attend the matches in the Nemak Ice Rink in Győr at a discount. The first home game will be free for all on Sunday 26 September at 17.30, when the Titans from Székesfehérvár visit the city of rivers.

Uni Győr ETO HC is aiming to reach the playoffs

Dr Tamás Gyömörei, Head of the Centre for Physical Education and Sport at Széchenyi István University, explained: the aim is to make the name of the University known in a top championship that is not only followed by fans in Hungary. Three teams from Transylvania - one each from Brașov, Gyergyószentmiklós and Csíkszereda - have entered the Erste Liga this season, but it is expected that clubs from South Slovakia and Vojvodina (North Serbia) will also be competing in the future.

"We want to attract talented young people who are outstanding in sport and who want to come to Győr, because here you have both first-class hockey and a high-quality university. We also offer special scholarships, individual study programmes, mentoring and coaching for our top athletes, and we work together to build their "dual careers". Through the Széchenyi István University Foundation, which maintains the university, students have already been able to apply for a scholarship for elite athletes this year, and a further opportunity is the fact that the Foundation's Board of Trustees has decided to provide ten million forints for this purpose,” Dr Gyömörei emphasised.

"With the support of the hockey club, we can raise the profile of Széchenyi István University on an excellent platform with the international popularity of ice hockey. For this reason, the team will start under the name Uni Győr ETO HC. We have been using the name Uni Győr for years for our women's basketball team, and we will also introduce it for other sports teams supported by the University, using sport’s enormous power of communication.”

The draw for Uni Győr ETO HC can be seen here.

The name and logo of SZE will be on the team's jersey, but will also be visible in the Győr Ice Rink.