Slovakia defeated Slovenia after a shootout in the most dramatic game of the evening
The Slovak men's national ice hockey team defeated Slovenia 5:4 after a shootout in a Group B game at the Men's Ice Hockey World Championship, played on 19 May 2026 at the BCF Arena in Fribourg. According to the official report of the International Ice Hockey Federation, the decisive shootout goal was scored by Kristian Pospisil, with which Slovakia concluded a duel in which it had the lead several times, but failed to break Slovenian resistance in regulation time. The game ended as one of the most exciting contests of the tournament so far, with nine goals in the official score, comebacks, a late equaliser and a finish in which individual moves decided the outcome.
Slovenia was trailing throughout 65 minutes of play, but came back into the game three times. Slovakia led 1:0, then 2:1, and later 4:2, but the Slovenian national team did not give up even after a period of strong Slovak pressure. According to the official IIHF statistics, Slovakia had a clear advantage in shots on goal, 38 to 23, but Slovenian goaltender Lukas Horak kept the game open with a series of saves, especially at moments when Slovakia could have increased the gap. Slovenia reached a point with a goal in the final minute of the third period, after pulling its goaltender and going with an extra attacker.
According to the competition schedule and official data, the duel was played in Group B, in Fribourg, starting at 20:20. The 2026 World Championship is being held in Switzerland from 15 to 31 May, with games played in Zürich and Fribourg. The IIHF states that 16 national teams are divided into two groups at the tournament, and the four best from each group advance to the quarter-finals. In that context, every point in the preliminary phase carries great weight, especially for teams fighting to enter the top four in the group or to avoid the lower part of the standings.
Early Slovak goal and Slovenian response on the power play
Slovakia opened the game very efficiently and took the lead after just one minute and twenty seconds of play. According to the IIHF report, defenceman Mislav Rosandić moved down from the blue line, patiently waited for the play to develop and sent the puck toward Adam Liška, who redirected it into the net. Such a start gave Slovakia control over the rhythm and immediately put Slovenia in a position in which it had to look for a response without opening up too much. Slovakia soon also received a two-man advantage opportunity, but the Slovenian defence remained compact enough in front of Horak during that period.
Slovenia equalised in the first period after a power-play situation. Marcel Mahkovec had previously created a dangerous move with a pass toward Matić Török, and after Slovak penalties Slovenia received a five-on-three opportunity. The IIHF states that Rok Tičar opened space on the other side of the attack, while Ken Ograjenšek scored for 1:1 at 15 minutes and 17 seconds. That goal was important because it showed that Slovenia could punish Slovak penalties and that, despite a weaker shot ratio, it had enough quality to come back.
Slovakia nevertheless regained the lead before the end of the first period. After Slovenia failed to clear the puck from the zone, Sebastian Čederle found Martin Chromiak in front of the goal, and the Slovak forward restored the advantage to his team. Such a development highlighted a problem that repeated itself throughout the game: Slovenia spent a large part of the encounter in a defensive block, and every mistake in exiting the period created a new danger in front of Horak. Still, unlike games in which an early lead turns into calm control by the favourite, this duel remained open until the very end.
Slovenia came back after 4:2 and forced overtime
At the beginning of the second period, Slovenia equalised again. Aljoša Crnović took a shot from the blue line, and the puck went through traffic in front of the goal and ended up behind Adam Gajan for 2:2. Soon after that, Horak stopped a big chance by Chromiak, which proved to be one of the key moments in keeping Slovenia's chance alive. Slovakia, however, continued to create pressure and midway through the second period took the lead again.
The third Slovak goal came after a shot by Filip Mešár, which, according to the IIHF report, surprised Horak and went under the glove. That goal opened Slovakia's strongest period of the game, in which Slovenia had difficulty getting out of its zone. Slovakia controlled the puck for several shifts, exhausted the Slovenian defence and created an extra man in front of the goal. The reward came on the power play, when Martin Faško-Rudáš put away a rebound from close range after Liška's shot and increased the lead to 4:2.
At that moment, it seemed that Slovakia had the game under control, but Slovenia reduced the deficit before the end of the second period. Jan Drozg received the puck along the boards, moved toward the face-off circle and with a precise shot hit the far corner. The goal for 4:3 changed the tone of the game ahead of the final period, because it restored belief to the Slovenian bench that the opponent could still be caught. Slovakia guarded its lead more cautiously in the continuation, but that approach opened space for the final Slovenian pressure.
The most dramatic moment came 30.6 seconds before the end of the third period. Slovenia pulled its goaltender, sent on an extra attacker and tried to reach an equaliser with final pressure. Rok Tičar received the puck in the face-off circle, turned and shot high toward the goal, and the shot, with a good screen by Luka Maver in front of Gajan, ended up in the net for 4:4. According to the IIHF report, Tičar had two goals and an assist in 65 minutes of play, making him the most prominent individual of the Slovenian team in that encounter.
The shootout decided it after Slovenian chances in overtime
Overtime brought additional tension because Slovenia, according to the official report, had the better play and a big chance to win. Luka Radivojevič was left without his stick in his own zone, and the Slovenians quickly switched play and created a move in which Anže Kuralt found himself in position for the finishing move. Gajan stopped his attempt and thereby prevented a complete turnaround. Since there was no goal in five minutes of overtime, the winner was decided by a shootout.
In the shootout, Oliver Okuliar, Filip Mešár and Kristian Pospisil scored for Slovakia, while the only Slovenian goal was scored by Rok Tičar. Pospisil's goal was decisive and brought Slovakia the extra point. According to the tournament rules cited by the IIHF, a team that wins after overtime or a shootout receives two points, while the defeated team receives one point. Such a system is especially important in balanced groups because even a defeat after a tied result through 60 minutes can have a significant impact on the standings.
Slovak forward Adam Liška said after the game, according to the IIHF, that his team had a very good start and was better in five-on-five play, but knew that Slovenia had a dangerous power play. He added that the third period was a lesson for the young Slovak team, which, in his words, withdrew in the finish and looked more uncertain than earlier in the game. Slovenian defenceman Aleksandar Magovac pointed out that this is a team that does not stop believing and is ready to work for all 60 minutes, even when the opponent is statistically superior.
What the result means for the Group B standings
According to the IIHF standings after three games played, Slovakia had eight points in Group B and was in second place, behind Canada. Canada had nine points, while Czechia was third with seven. Slovenia, after this shootout loss, had three points and a record that kept it in the lower part of the middle of the group, with an important point won against Slovakia. For Slovenia, that point was significant because it came against a national team that remained unbeaten in regulation time in the first three rounds.
Slovenia opened the tournament with a 3:2 overtime win over Czechia, which the IIHF described as a historic victory for Slovenian hockey. After that, it lost to Norway 0:4, so the meeting with Slovakia had additional importance as a test of reaction after a convincing defeat. Slovakia had beaten Norway 2:1 and Italy 4:1 before the game with Slovenia, and with the shootout win maintained continuity in collecting points. According to Hockey Canada data, the meeting with Slovenia was the 24th game of the preliminary phase of the tournament, and it officially ended with a 5:4 result after overtime and a shootout.
In Group B, according to the official schedule, Canada, Slovakia, Czechia, Norway, Sweden, Slovenia, Denmark and Italy are competing. Such a group composition makes every game against direct rivals important, but points against stronger opponents can also be decisive. The competition system provides for the top four national teams from each group to advance, so the fight for the quarter-finals does not come down only to wins, but also to how many points can be taken in games that go to overtime or a shootout. Slovenia remained alive in the standings precisely in that way even after defeat by Slovakia.
Fribourg as the stage of the day's tensest duel
BCF Arena in Fribourg is one of the two host arenas of the 2026 World Championship, alongside Swiss Life Arena in Zürich. According to the official IIHF schedule, Fribourg is the host of a series of Group B games, including meetings involving Slovenia, Slovakia, Canada, Czechia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Italy. The Slovenia and Slovakia game confirmed why the preliminary phase often brings the most uncertain duels: the difference in possession and number of shots was not enough for the contest to be decided before the final seconds.
For Slovakia, the win is valuable because it confirms a good start to the championship, but also raises questions about managing a lead in the finish. A team that has a two-goal advantage and a significant edge in shots usually wants to avoid a finish in which one rebound or screen can change the outcome. Slovenia, on the other hand, showed that it can remain competitive even when forced to defend for a long time. Such a mentality may be important later in the group, especially in games against opponents with whom it will directly fight for position.
The game also had broader sporting significance because it showed how special the circumstances of tournament hockey are. In a league system, one shootout loss can quickly be forgotten, but at a world championship every point enters the direct calculation of advancement, survival and final placement. According to IIHF rules, in the event of a tie in the standings, additional criteria are applied, including head-to-head games, goal difference and number of goals scored. That is why Slovenia's late goal was not only a dramatic moment of the game, but also a move that may have practical value in the closing stages of the preliminary phase.
Slovakia ultimately took the larger share of the spoils, but Slovenia left Fribourg with confirmation that it can come back from an almost lost situation. Nine goals, a shootout and an equaliser half a minute before the end made this encounter one of the most dramatic in the championship so far. Slovakia continued its positive run, while Slovenia won a point that could prove important in the final tally. The continuation of Group B will show whether the Slovenian comeback was only an episode of brave resistance or a sign that the team can more seriously join the fight for the upper part of the standings.
Sources:
- IIHF – official report from the Slovenia - Slovakia game and statements by participants (link)
- IIHF – official schedule and results of the 2026 World Championship (link)
- IIHF – official group standings at the 2026 World Championship (link)
- IIHF – competition format and scoring rules at the 2026 World Championship (link)
- Hockey Canada – game summary Slovakia - Slovenia, Game #24 (link)