Slovenia convincingly defeated Italy 5:1 and remained in the elite tier of world hockey
Slovenia achieved a victory at the BCF Arena in Fribourg that carried far greater weight than an ordinary group-stage triumph. In a preliminary-round match of the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship, the Slovenian national team defeated Italy 5:1, after the game had still been goalless after the first period. According to the official report of the International Ice Hockey Federation, the duel was played on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Group B, and with that victory Slovenia secured its place in the top tier of the world championship. Italy, according to the same IIHF report, was left without a chance of survival after the defeat and returns to Division I, Group A. The final 5:1 clearly shows the gap that emerged in the second part of the game, although the start of the match was tense and completely open in terms of the score.
The match had a distinctly competitive stake because both national teams entered Fribourg under the pressure of fighting for elite status. According to the IIHF report, Italy needed a regulation-time victory to stay up, while Slovenia entered the duel in a better position thanks to an earlier overtime win against Czechia and a shootout loss to Slovakia. Edo Terglav's Slovenian team could therefore play with a somewhat more favorable calculation, but a defeat in 60 minutes would have meant losing the place the national team was trying to keep for the third consecutive season. That is precisely why the encounter had the characteristics of a direct battle for survival, even though it was played in the group stage of the tournament. The official game sheet states that 4436 spectators attended the match, which further confirms the importance of the duel in the closing stages of the preliminary round.
First period without goals, Italy first to take the lead
The first 20 minutes passed without goals, but not without caution and tactical maneuvering. According to official IIHF statistics, both teams recorded ten shots on goal in the first period, but goaltenders Lukas Horak on the Slovenian side and Damian Clara on the Italian side did not allow an early scoring separation. Slovenia tried to impose its rhythm through longer possessions and entries into the attacking third, while Italy sought to wait for a mistake and use every opportunity after stoppages. Because of the high stakes, there was little room for open play, and the defenses mostly succeeded in closing the most dangerous passing lanes. Such a development suited Italy better because it kept the match under control and left open the possibility of changing the direction of the survival battle with a single goal.
Italian hope arrived at the beginning of the second period. Phil Pietroniro scored at 22 minutes and 34 seconds to give Italy a 1:0 lead, with assists from Tommy Purdeller and Daniel Mantenuto, according to the official game sheet. That goal came after a situation which, according to the IIHF report, arose from pressure following a Slovenian icing and a well-executed continuation from the faceoff circle. At that moment Italy had a result that opened the path toward survival, while Slovenia found itself in a position in which it had to take significantly more risks. However, the Slovenian response was calm and gradual, without a sudden collapse of the game structure. It was precisely that stability that became a key element of the comeback that followed in the middle of the second period.
Mahkovec and Drozg launched Slovenia's major comeback
Slovenia equalized at 28 minutes and 9 seconds, when Matic Torok scored for 1:1 after an assist from Marcel Mahkovec. According to the IIHF report, Mahkovec made a strong play behind the net and found Torok, who freed himself from his marker and scored past Italian goaltender Clara. That goal changed the energy of the match because Slovenia regained control of the score and reduced the pressure brought by Italy's lead. After the equalizer the game opened up, and Italian penalties gave Slovenia the opportunity to create a decisive advantage late in the second period. During that stretch, Jan Drozg and Marcel Mahkovec stood out in particular, two players who, according to the IIHF, were the central figures of Slovenia's comeback.
Drozg first scored on the power play at 30 minutes and 3 seconds for 2:1, with assists from Mahkovec and Robert Sabolic. That goal came only a few seconds after an Italian penalty, which showed how ready Slovenia's special unit was to punish every mistake quickly. At the very end of the second period, Drozg scored again, this time at 39 minutes and 54 seconds, also in a power-play situation. The assists went to Mahkovec and Blaz Gregorc, and Slovenia went into the second intermission with a 3:1 lead. According to the official IIHF report, Drozg's second goal was especially difficult for the Italian defense because it came in the final seconds of the period and left Italy with a large deficit ahead of the final 20 minutes.
The third period confirmed Slovenian dominance
Italy entered the third period needing to score multiple goals, but Slovenia controlled the key parts of the game and did not allow a comeback. According to the official IIHF report, Jukka Jalonen's Italian team tried to apply early pressure, and Lukas Horak had to react to several attempts that could have restored uncertainty. Still, Slovenia's play without the puck remained disciplined enough, and killing a penalty in the opening minutes of the third period prevented Italian momentum. After that, Mahkovec, already the most important Slovenian creator up to that point, finished a play himself with a goal for 4:1 at 47 minutes and 18 seconds. Torok and Sabolic assisted him, and that goal practically decided the match.
The final 5:1 was set by Zan Jezovsek at 51 minutes and 24 seconds, in a two-man advantage situation, with assists from Ken Ograjensek and Rok Ticar. Slovenia thereby completed an evening in which it converted three power-play situations, while Italy failed to find a way to a second goal in its own opportunities. The official game sheet shows that Slovenia recorded 36 shots on goal in total, while Italy had 28. Damian Clara made 31 saves for Italy, while Lukas Horak stopped 27 shots for Slovenia. By periods, Slovenia won 0:0, 3:1 and 2:0, which clearly shows that the second period was decisive, while the closing stretch merely confirmed the direction of the match.
Drozg a two-goal scorer, Mahkovec with four points
The most outstanding Slovenian individual was Marcel Mahkovec, who, according to the official IIHF report, finished the match with four points. He added three assists to his goal and was involved in most of Slovenia's most important attacks. Jan Drozg scored two goals, both in the second period and both on the power play, directly turning the match after Italy's lead. The IIHF emphasized in its report that Drozg and Mahkovec are teammates at Olimpija Ljubljana in the ICE League, and their cooperation in Fribourg was of decisive importance for Slovenia's survival in the elite. Torok added an assist to his goal, while Sabolic, Gregorc, Ograjensek and Ticar rounded out Slovenia's list of assistants.
Drozg's two goals are especially important because they came in a short period in which Italy lost control of the score. The first power-play goal came after a quick combination and a rebound, and the second in the very final moments of the period, from a very difficult position near the goal. In the IIHF news report, that second goal was described as a shot that surprised the goaltender and hit the near corner. Slovenia's lead thereby grew to 3:1, and Italy had to chase a deficit in the third period that was large not only in terms of the score but also psychologically. Considering Italy's attacking efficiency up to that point in the tournament, coming back from such a position was a very difficult task.
Survival in the elite and Italy's drop to Division I A
Slovenia's victory had a direct effect on the lower part of Group B standings. According to the official IIHF table after the match, Slovenia finished the preliminary stage with seven games played, six points and a goal difference of 13:25. Italy, after the same number of games, remained on one point and a goal difference of 5:28, which left it at the bottom of Group B. In the competition system published by the IIHF, the two lowest-ranked national teams in the overall standings are relegated to Division I, Group A for the next edition, with Germany, as host in 2027, protected from relegation. According to the official match report, it was precisely Slovenia's victory that meant Italy was leaving the top tier.
For Slovenia, this result also had broader significance than a one-off survival. The IIHF report states that the national team thereby secured a third consecutive season in the elite tier, which was described as a historically important achievement for Slovenian hockey. The team had major fluctuations in the tournament, from a win against Czechia after overtime to heavy defeats, but in the most important match it managed to combine discipline, an effective power play and a strong goaltending performance. Italy, on the other hand, showed moments of competitiveness in Fribourg, but too little attacking stability to stay up. Particularly problematic was the small number of goals throughout the tournament, which also became an insurmountable obstacle in the decisive encounter after Slovenia took the lead.
Fribourg remains one of the centers of the tournament
The 2026 World Championship is being played in Switzerland from May 15 to 31, and official IIHF information lists Zürich and Fribourg as host cities. The BCF Arena in Fribourg hosted Group B, in which Canada, Czechia, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia and Italy, among others, competed. According to the tournament regulations, the four best teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, which are played by crossing the groups, while the final stage leads toward the medal games in Zürich. The Slovenia-Italy duel did not decide a quarterfinal place, but it had an equally strong competitive charge because it determined the fate of the national teams at the bottom of the standings. For visitors following the closing stages of the tournament in Fribourg, accommodation offers in Fribourg may also be useful, especially because of the final preliminary-round matches and quarterfinal dates.
The match at the BCF Arena showed how dramatic the fight for survival can be even when medals or the knockout stage are not involved. Italy had the lead and briefly held a result that opened a path toward survival, but it could not withstand Slovenian pressure or stop the opponent's special teams. Slovenia, after a nervous first part, showed maturity in the decisive moments and took advantage of precisely those situations that decide high-stakes matches. With five goals, three power-play conversions and a secure finish, Edo Terglav's team turned a regional duel into one of the key matches of its more recent national-team history. The final 5:1 is therefore not only a convincing result, but also confirmation that Slovenia found the game it needed to remain among the best at the most important moment of the tournament.
Sources:
- International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) – official report of the Slovenia - Italy match and the context of survival in the elite (link)
- International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) – official game sheet, scorers, assists, shots, goaltenders and spectators (link)
- International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) – schedule and results of the 2026 World Championship (link)
- International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) – official group standings after preliminary-round matches (link)
- International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) – tournament regulations, points system, advancement to the quarterfinals and relegation rules (link)