photo: Matt Zambonin/IIHF
Kristian Pospisil scored the shootout winner to give Slovakia a 5-4 win over Slovenia tonight in Fribourg. Oliver Okuliar and Filip Mesar also scored in the shootout, while Rok Ticar scored the lone goal of the shootout for Slovenia. Tikar led all players with two goals and an assist during the 65 minutes of game action.
Slovenia played from behind all night but fought back from deficits of 1-0, 2-1, and 4-2. The Slovaks also enjoyed a healthy 38-23 advantage in shots but Lukas Horak, except for one shot, was fantastic all night. Slovakia has yet to lose to Slovenia at the World Championship and are now 7-0 all time in head-to-head games.
"We had a really good start," said Slovakia forward Adam Liska. "We were the better team 5-on-5, but we knew before the game Slovenia has a good power play. We took some penalties, and they scored. In the third period, they were better. We looked like we were kind of scared, but we weren't. We're a young team and we were trying to play the same way. I think this is a big lesson for us, and I'm pretty sure if we have a similar situation later, we'll do better."
Slovenia had the better of play in the overtime and had a great chance to win it. Luka Radivojevic lost his stick in his own end, and the Slovenes moved the puck around nicely until Anze Kuralt broke free, but his deke was stopped by Adam Gajan.
The win puts the Slovaks into second place with eight points, one behind Canada, with a 2-1-0-0 record. Slovenia, meanwhile, sits in a tie for fith place with Sweden. Both teams have three points and Slovenia's record is now 0-1-1-1.
"It was a great effort," offered Aleksandar Magovac of Slovenia. "We were happy to keep the game close. They just had more luck in the shootout. This is the kind of team we have. We never stop believing. We're going to grind for 60 minutes. We know we're the underdogs every game, and they might get more shots, but we're going to play hard to the end."
The Slovaks jumped out to the early lead, scoring at 1:20 on a nice play by defender Mislav Rosandic. He brough the puck down off the point, waited patiently, and then put the puck on the tape of Liska, who re-directed it into the empty side of the goal.
Soon after, the Slovaks enjoyed a 5-on-3 for one minute, but the Slovenes compacted around Horak and kept their opponents at bay. Marcel Mahkovec made a great play which led to Slovenia tying the game. He made a great back-door pass to Matic Torok, who was tripped by goalie Adam Gajan and penalized. Just 26 seconds later, Slovakia incurred another penalty, and with a 5-on-3 of their own, Slovenia connected.
Veteran Ticar went to the back side of the play where Ken Ograjensek snapped the puck in at 15:17. But Slovakia responded three minutes later. Tikar failed to clear the zone and Sebastian Cederle found Martin Chromiak in front to restore the lead.
Slovenia wasted no time in tying the game early in the third when Aljosa Crnovic's point shot went through a tangle of players and beat Gajan at 1:17 to make it 2-2. Moments later, Horak made the save of the game, kicking out his left pad on a sure goal from Chromiak.
Slovakia took the lead again at 5:46 off a shot completely muffed by Horak. Filip Mesar’s quick shot from the point wasn’t screened and wasn’t difficult, but it went under the glove of the goalie at 5:46 to restore Slovakia’s lead.
This started Slovakia’s greatest period of pressure all night as they controlled the puck shift after shift in the Slovene end. They were rewarded again four minutes later on a power play when Martin Fasko-Rudas knocked in a rebound from the blue ice after Horak made the initial save off a Liska shot.
But Slovenia fought back again and made it 4-3 late in the period. Jan Drozg brought the puck off the boards and snapped a nice shot to the far side form the top of the faceoff circle, breathing new life into the Slovenian bench with one period remaining.
The Slovaks played a dnagerous game of sitting on the lead in the third, and they got away with it for 19 and a half minutes. But with Horak on the bench for the extra skater, Slovenia tied the game when Ticar turned and fired from the faceoff circle. His high shot fround the top of the net thanks to a nice screen by Luka Maver with just 30.6 seconds remaining, forcing overtime.
Slovenia played from behind all night but fought back from deficits of 1-0, 2-1, and 4-2. The Slovaks also enjoyed a healthy 38-23 advantage in shots but Lukas Horak, except for one shot, was fantastic all night. Slovakia has yet to lose to Slovenia at the World Championship and are now 7-0 all time in head-to-head games.
"We had a really good start," said Slovakia forward Adam Liska. "We were the better team 5-on-5, but we knew before the game Slovenia has a good power play. We took some penalties, and they scored. In the third period, they were better. We looked like we were kind of scared, but we weren't. We're a young team and we were trying to play the same way. I think this is a big lesson for us, and I'm pretty sure if we have a similar situation later, we'll do better."
Slovenia had the better of play in the overtime and had a great chance to win it. Luka Radivojevic lost his stick in his own end, and the Slovenes moved the puck around nicely until Anze Kuralt broke free, but his deke was stopped by Adam Gajan.
The win puts the Slovaks into second place with eight points, one behind Canada, with a 2-1-0-0 record. Slovenia, meanwhile, sits in a tie for fith place with Sweden. Both teams have three points and Slovenia's record is now 0-1-1-1.
"It was a great effort," offered Aleksandar Magovac of Slovenia. "We were happy to keep the game close. They just had more luck in the shootout. This is the kind of team we have. We never stop believing. We're going to grind for 60 minutes. We know we're the underdogs every game, and they might get more shots, but we're going to play hard to the end."
The Slovaks jumped out to the early lead, scoring at 1:20 on a nice play by defender Mislav Rosandic. He brough the puck down off the point, waited patiently, and then put the puck on the tape of Liska, who re-directed it into the empty side of the goal.
Soon after, the Slovaks enjoyed a 5-on-3 for one minute, but the Slovenes compacted around Horak and kept their opponents at bay. Marcel Mahkovec made a great play which led to Slovenia tying the game. He made a great back-door pass to Matic Torok, who was tripped by goalie Adam Gajan and penalized. Just 26 seconds later, Slovakia incurred another penalty, and with a 5-on-3 of their own, Slovenia connected.
Veteran Ticar went to the back side of the play where Ken Ograjensek snapped the puck in at 15:17. But Slovakia responded three minutes later. Tikar failed to clear the zone and Sebastian Cederle found Martin Chromiak in front to restore the lead.
Slovenia wasted no time in tying the game early in the third when Aljosa Crnovic's point shot went through a tangle of players and beat Gajan at 1:17 to make it 2-2. Moments later, Horak made the save of the game, kicking out his left pad on a sure goal from Chromiak.
Slovakia took the lead again at 5:46 off a shot completely muffed by Horak. Filip Mesar’s quick shot from the point wasn’t screened and wasn’t difficult, but it went under the glove of the goalie at 5:46 to restore Slovakia’s lead.
This started Slovakia’s greatest period of pressure all night as they controlled the puck shift after shift in the Slovene end. They were rewarded again four minutes later on a power play when Martin Fasko-Rudas knocked in a rebound from the blue ice after Horak made the initial save off a Liska shot.
But Slovenia fought back again and made it 4-3 late in the period. Jan Drozg brought the puck off the boards and snapped a nice shot to the far side form the top of the faceoff circle, breathing new life into the Slovenian bench with one period remaining.
The Slovaks played a dnagerous game of sitting on the lead in the third, and they got away with it for 19 and a half minutes. But with Horak on the bench for the extra skater, Slovenia tied the game when Ticar turned and fired from the faceoff circle. His high shot fround the top of the net thanks to a nice screen by Luka Maver with just 30.6 seconds remaining, forcing overtime.
Slovenia vs Slovakia - 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship
OF