Poland’s return to ice hockey’s biggest stage ended in tears last night after the team were relegated following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Kazakhstan.
Back in the top-flight after a 22-year absence, Poland entered their last group match in Ostrava, Czech Republic, needing a win against the Kazakhs to avoid dropping a division. Surging into an early lead courtesy of a goal from Kamil Wałęga, the White Eagles soon found themselves pegged back by Nikita Mikhailis.
With the game tied at 1-1, the Kazakhs then pulled into a 3-1 lead with two third-period goals scored in quick succession. Surviving a late onslaught from the Poles, the exhausted Kazakhs had just enough in the tank to cling on for victory.
The result sees Poland fall through the trapdoor having finished bottom of their group with one point.
He added: “It’s very hard [to take]. We have an older team and the one generation is coming to an end. But for all these players, this meant everything for us."
Visibly emotional, Dziubiński heaped praise on the fans that had flooded into Ostrava for each of Poland’s group matches: “I want to thank all the fans that came all the way from different cities; they kept us alive every game.”
Although Poland leaves Czechia anchored at the bottom of their group, the team - and their raucous band of fans - have won several friends along the way.
A thrilling opening match saw the Poles take hotly fancied Latvia all the way to extra time, while another ice hockey giant, Sweden, was also forced to raise their game to rise above the plucky underdog. The White and Reds also gave the mighty U.S. team a run for their money, putting up a spirited fight in the first 30 minutes of the match before ultimately falling 1-4. Despite losing all their games in Group B and returning home with just one point, the Poles do so defeated but not embarrassed.
With the game tied at 1-1, the Kazakhs then pulled into a 3-1 lead with two third-period goals scored in quick succession. Surviving a late onslaught from the Poles, the exhausted Kazakhs had just enough in the tank to cling on for victory.
The result sees Poland fall through the trapdoor having finished bottom of their group with one point.
"We took the lead and started the way we like to. The first 10 minutes were good," said Polish captain Krystian Dziubiński. "Then, we were disappointed when we gave away an easy goal. We didn’t really come back from that one.”Pomimo przegranej w Ostrawie @IIHFHockey polscy 🇵🇱 kibice nie zawiedli 👍
— PL in Ostrava (@PLinOstrava) May 20, 2024
Doping polskich kibiców jest nadal w światowej elicie 💪
Dziękujemy #Tychy #Jaworzno #Oświęcim #Sosnowiec #Toruń #DąbrowaGórnicza #Gdańsk #Bytom za dzisiejsze wsparcie 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/xllvlExort
He added: “It’s very hard [to take]. We have an older team and the one generation is coming to an end. But for all these players, this meant everything for us."
Visibly emotional, Dziubiński heaped praise on the fans that had flooded into Ostrava for each of Poland’s group matches: “I want to thank all the fans that came all the way from different cities; they kept us alive every game.”
Although Poland leaves Czechia anchored at the bottom of their group, the team - and their raucous band of fans - have won several friends along the way.
A thrilling opening match saw the Poles take hotly fancied Latvia all the way to extra time, while another ice hockey giant, Sweden, was also forced to raise their game to rise above the plucky underdog. The White and Reds also gave the mighty U.S. team a run for their money, putting up a spirited fight in the first 30 minutes of the match before ultimately falling 1-4. Despite losing all their games in Group B and returning home with just one point, the Poles do so defeated but not embarrassed.
For others, however, the championships continue, and the eight teams that qualified for the playoff stage, including the host nation, the U.S., Sweden, Canada, and Switzerland, will all now be dreaming about going for gold at the final in Prague on May 26.Na lodowisku w @Ostrava_cz podczas MŚ elity @IIHFHockey kibice reprezentacji polski @PZHL swietnie sie bawia pic.twitter.com/HjiiIOKekd
— Jacek Sroka (@Jacek_Sroka) May 20, 2024
Source: IIHF
