Mayberry Investments Limited is incredibly proud to celebrate the Jamaica ice hockey team’s successful first-leg campaign of the Challenger Series in Chicago.

Following thrilling and rigorous action inside Fifth Third Arena between May 7 and 9, Jamaica and Greece were joint top of the table.

The Jamaicans, supported by Mayberry’s US$5,000 title sponsorship, opened the tournament against defending champions Greece last Thursday.

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. Remarkable for Jamaica, all seven goals came from different individuals, an indication of the depth of the team.

The following day, Jamaica faced Caribbean neighbours Puerto Rico. Despite a gallant effort in the third and final period during which they scored two unanswered goals, Jamaica ultimately suffered a 2-6 defeat to a resurgent Puerto Rican side.

However, the Jamaicans 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 in the three games Three of Jordan’s goals were against Lebanon. Goalkeeper Tyler Krivtsov, who made several excellent saves throughout the competition, was voted player of the match against Greece and Lebanon. The Jamaican team also concluded the leg having conceded the fewest goals.

Desiree Wheeler, marketing manager at Mayberry Investments Limited, was elated by the team’s success.

“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,” Wheeler said.

Don Anderson, president of the Jamaican Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF), noted the significance of the sponsorship arrangement.

“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 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,” Anderson said.

The Chicago success has underlined the belief that the Jamaicans can lay down another formidable performance in Montreal in their quest to reclaim the Challenger Series trophy.