In their first match of the Ice Hockey World Championships, Poland, returning to the Elite after a 22-year hiatus, played a remarkable game against the third team from the previous championships, and despite losing 4:5 to Latvia after overtime, they unexpectedly secured a point from the favorites.
The Polish hockey players courageously commenced the competition against the third-ranked team from the previous world championships. However, after a few minutes of play, the Latvians – bronze medalists of the world championships last year – seized the initiative. The Poles adeptly disrupted the opponents’ attacks, and on several occasions, John Murray intervened. In the 13th minute, Rodrigo Abols received a two-minute penalty for causing Patryk Wronka to fall. The white and reds did not capitalize on the power play. Krystian Dziubiński took a shot, Paweł Zygmunt attempted to finish, but the opponents emerged from this situation with a defensive advantage.
A moment later, the pivotal action of the first period occurred. In the 16th minute, following a pass from Mateusz Michalski, Krzysztof Maciaś made a surprising shot from the right side. The puck rolled into the goal between the legs of the Latvian team’s goalkeeper. The Poles maintained their advantage until the end, and they unexpectedly went into the break leading 1:0.
The agitated Latvians returned to the next part of the match with great fervor. They put pressure on the Poles, and their efforts swiftly bore fruit. In the 23rd minute, Raivis Ansons passed the puck to Roberts Mamcics, who, with a long-range shot, placed the puck right next to the post, thereby equalizing the match.
The Poles had no intention of merely defending; Michalski and Bartosz Fraszko attempted to catch the opponent’s goalkeeper off guard. In the 29th minute, they regained the lead. Maciej Urbanowicz made a pass, and Kamil Wałęga took a close-range shot. The puck ricocheted off the skate of one of the opponents, catching the goalkeeper by surprise.
Martins Dzierkals’ penalty in the 31st minute gave the Poles a 2:1 lead, but they once again failed to capitalize on the power play. The end of the second period was fraught with tension. Once again, the Poles found themselves shorthanded, with Maciej Kruczek and Mateusz Bryk receiving penalties. However, they managed to maintain their favorable score until the end of this segment of the match.
Three minutes after the break, the Poles were again playing with an advantage, but the Latvians surprised them with an effective counterattack. The spectacular action was crowned by Rodrigo Abols, leading to a tie.
This situation did not dampen the spirits of the Poles. In the 48th minute, they initiated an action. Krystian Dziubiński took a shot, which was deflected by one of the opponents. However, Krzysztof Maciaś was in the right place at the right time and skillfully directed the puck into the goal.
The score was 3:2 in favor of Poland, and Latvia launched another attack. In the 51st minute, tensions escalated near the Polish goal, necessitating the referee to intervene and separate the players from both teams. Two minutes later, Kaspars Daugavins managed to find a path to the Polish goal. Initially, the referee did not acknowledge the goal. However, the referee eventually acknowledged the goal after the Latvians requested a VAR review.
The Latvian hockey players managed to equalize the score and then took the offensive; after Rihards Bukarts scored, the score stood at 3:4. However, the white and reds did not concede defeat. In the 57th minute, Mateusz Bryk scored the equalizing goal. As the match neared its end, emotions ran high. The Poles played with an advantage in the final seconds, but the score remained unchanged.
At the onset of overtime, the Polish hockey players failed to capitalize on the power play. Grzegorz Pasiut took a shot, but the goalkeeper skillfully saved it. Later, Dominik Paś struck the post, and the Latvians retaliated with a shot that hit the crossbar. In the 64th minute, Kaspars Daugavins scored the decisive goal following a pass from Abols, securing victory for the Latvian team.
The upcoming opponents for the Polish team are as follows: Sweden (May 12), France (May 14), Slovakia (May 15), the U.S. (May 17), Germany (May 18), and Kazakhstan (May 20). The team that finishes last in the standings will be relegated to Division 1A, while the top four teams from the group will advance to the quarterfinals.
A moment later, the pivotal action of the first period occurred. In the 16th minute, following a pass from Mateusz Michalski, Krzysztof Maciaś made a surprising shot from the right side. The puck rolled into the goal between the legs of the Latvian team’s goalkeeper. The Poles maintained their advantage until the end, and they unexpectedly went into the break leading 1:0.
The agitated Latvians returned to the next part of the match with great fervor. They put pressure on the Poles, and their efforts swiftly bore fruit. In the 23rd minute, Raivis Ansons passed the puck to Roberts Mamcics, who, with a long-range shot, placed the puck right next to the post, thereby equalizing the match.
The Poles had no intention of merely defending; Michalski and Bartosz Fraszko attempted to catch the opponent’s goalkeeper off guard. In the 29th minute, they regained the lead. Maciej Urbanowicz made a pass, and Kamil Wałęga took a close-range shot. The puck ricocheted off the skate of one of the opponents, catching the goalkeeper by surprise.
Martins Dzierkals’ penalty in the 31st minute gave the Poles a 2:1 lead, but they once again failed to capitalize on the power play. The end of the second period was fraught with tension. Once again, the Poles found themselves shorthanded, with Maciej Kruczek and Mateusz Bryk receiving penalties. However, they managed to maintain their favorable score until the end of this segment of the match.
Three minutes after the break, the Poles were again playing with an advantage, but the Latvians surprised them with an effective counterattack. The spectacular action was crowned by Rodrigo Abols, leading to a tie.
This situation did not dampen the spirits of the Poles. In the 48th minute, they initiated an action. Krystian Dziubiński took a shot, which was deflected by one of the opponents. However, Krzysztof Maciaś was in the right place at the right time and skillfully directed the puck into the goal.
The score was 3:2 in favor of Poland, and Latvia launched another attack. In the 51st minute, tensions escalated near the Polish goal, necessitating the referee to intervene and separate the players from both teams. Two minutes later, Kaspars Daugavins managed to find a path to the Polish goal. Initially, the referee did not acknowledge the goal. However, the referee eventually acknowledged the goal after the Latvians requested a VAR review.
The Latvian hockey players managed to equalize the score and then took the offensive; after Rihards Bukarts scored, the score stood at 3:4. However, the white and reds did not concede defeat. In the 57th minute, Mateusz Bryk scored the equalizing goal. As the match neared its end, emotions ran high. The Poles played with an advantage in the final seconds, but the score remained unchanged.
At the onset of overtime, the Polish hockey players failed to capitalize on the power play. Grzegorz Pasiut took a shot, but the goalkeeper skillfully saved it. Later, Dominik Paś struck the post, and the Latvians retaliated with a shot that hit the crossbar. In the 64th minute, Kaspars Daugavins scored the decisive goal following a pass from Abols, securing victory for the Latvian team.
Despite losing after overtime, the Poles managed to secure a valuable point and are currently in fifth place in the standings following the first series of matches. Latvia earned two points for their victory. Rodrigo Abols was recognized as the MVP of the match, while the standout player from the Polish team was Krzysztof Maciaś, who scored two goals.WHAT A GAME‼️ Relive all 9 goals and OT between Poland and Latvia 👇 #MensWorlds @PZHL @lhf_lv pic.twitter.com/reGTj9w673
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 12, 2024
The upcoming opponents for the Polish team are as follows: Sweden (May 12), France (May 14), Slovakia (May 15), the U.S. (May 17), Germany (May 18), and Kazakhstan (May 20). The team that finishes last in the standings will be relegated to Division 1A, while the top four teams from the group will advance to the quarterfinals.
Source: Polsatsport
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