Slovakia’s hockey team demonstrated their offensive prowess with an 8-4 win over Norway on Friday, marking their first-ever start with three consecutive victories in World Junior history. The victory was powered by an impressive four-goal performance on the power play.
Servac Petrovsky and Dalibor Dvorsky were the stars of the show, each contributing two goals and two assists. Filip Mesar and Maxim Strbak added to the Slovakian dominance with three assists each. This win reflects coach Ivan Fenes’ effective strategy and the team’s burgeoning offensive capabilities, as evidenced by their total of 17 goals in the tournament so far.
Norway, facing a pivotal match against Switzerland, remains winless and faces the looming threat of the relegation game. Norway’s Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, a notable talent, stood out with two goals and an assist, but it wasn’t enough to counter Slovakia’s onslaught.
The game began with Norway initially taking the lead, but Slovakia quickly responded with Petrovsky setting up Samuel Honzek for an equalizing goal. The Slovak momentum continued with Dvorsky and Petrovsky further extending the lead.
The second period saw Slovakia break the game wide open, with five goals including another from Petrovsky and the first tournament goal from young Luka Radijovevic. The Slovak dominance was momentarily disrupted by Norway’s Stian Solberg and Petter Vesterheim, who scored in the third period, but Slovakia continued to control the game.
Goalkeeper Adam Gajan, Slovakia’s standout performer in 2023, secured 22 saves, contributing to Slovakia’s solid defensive performance. Despite Norway’s efforts and a brief lead, Slovakia’s power play efficiency and overall team synergy were overwhelming.
This victory positions Slovakia as a strong contender in the tournament, boasting a perfect record against Norway in World Junior games. As the tournament progresses, Slovakia’s quest for another medal looks promising, while Norway focuses on their critical upcoming match against Switzerland.
