A confident opening win boosted Ukraine’s hopes at Division 1A, but tougher tests lie ahead as the team prepares to face Hungary tomorrow.
The Ukrainian national under-18 ice hockey team opened its World Championship campaign in Division 1A with a confident victory over Slovenia.
In the opening game, the Ukrainian hockey players pushed to a 4:2 result (2:1, 0:1, 2:0), confirming their ability to compete for top positions in the tournament, according to the Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation.
The players tallied the following goals: 09:29 Benjamin Topalovich scored on the power play – 1:0, 14:00 Platon Isaev equalized – 1:1, 17:58 Oleksiy Tolkunov put the team ahead – 1:2, 29:47 Tim Kostomay reduced the deficit – 2:2, 48:58 Volodymyr Naumenko again put Ukraine ahead – 2:3, 59:19 Daniil Olipherchuk recorded the final score – 2:4.
The next day, on Sunday, April 19, the Ukrainian team will play against Hungary.
This year at the World Championship, the Ukrainian junior national team will compete with Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Poland, Slovenia and Hungary. After five matches, the group winner will be determined, and in the next season they will compete in the elite division.
Division 1A standings
- Kazakhstan – 3 points (1 game, goal differential 5:2)
- Ukraine – 3 points (1 game, goal differential 4:2)
- Switzerland – 0 points (0 games, 0:0)
- Poland – 0 points (0 games, 0:0)
- Slovenia – 0 points (1 game, goal differential 2:4)
- Hungary – 0 points (1 game, goal differential 2:5)
The competition continues, and Ukrainian youth players remain in the fight for top positions on the world stage.