Slovakia narrowly escaped a nightmare on Wednesday at the 2025 IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship.
Ahead 3-1 and in control of the game, the Slovaks gave up a goal to Germany's Max Penkin with 38 seconds left in the third. Then, with German goaltender Lukas Stuhrmann pulled for an extra attacker, Rihards Griva just missed on a slot shot with seconds on the clock. Had the puck gone in, the game would have gone to overtime.
Instead, Slovakia barely held on for a 3-2 win, which gives it a berth in Friday's semifinals.
"We did a really good job the entire game," said Slovak captain Luka Radivojevic. "We had some problems scoring a little bit early but then we broke through it and it was awesome."
Stuhrmann was the star in this game, making 33 saves on 36 shots. The Slovaks came in waves starting from the opening puck drop and Stuhrmann made highlight-reel saves in each period to give his team a chance. He said coming so close hurts, as Germany was looking to reach the semifinals of the U18s for the first time ever.
"It’s a tough loss. We had the chance to make it to the semifinals, we had the team," said the star goaltender. "We were not able to bring it on the ice in the end. It's frustrating."
The game was scoreless until late in the second period. With 3:14 left in the frame, Jan Chovan, one of 10 returnees to Slovakia from the 2024 U18 team that finished fourth at worlds, flew down on his off wing for a partial breakaway, and fired a shot that just missed the net.
The puck rimmed around the wall but bounced back to Chovan, who found himself alone in the slot for a second chance. This time, he didn’t miss, snapping a shot through the five-hole of German goaltender Lukas Stuhrmann to give Slovakia a 1-0 lead late in the second period.
Lukas Tomka and Luka Radivojevic scored to add to Slovakia's lead. Slovakia held a 3-0 lead with 13 minutes left in the game and seemed to be in control. But Max Bleicher, at 13:29, and Penkin, at 19:22, scored for Germany to provide some tense moments late in the game for the Slovaks.
Slovakia has finished fourth at this tournament in back-to-back years and is looking to win a medal at U18s for the first time since getting silver in 2003.
"We are really excited. The last two years, we didn’t get a medal but, this year, we’re going for it, for sure," said Radivojevic. "We just have to play our game, play brother for brother. It’s going to be good."
Alex Misiak and Radivojevic played a large part in the Slovaks’ icebreaking goal, with Radivojevic making the initial quick up pass to spring Chovan and then Misiak holding the line and keeping the puck in to create that second shot by the goal scorer.
Chovan’s shot that found the back of the net was the 22nd for Slovakia to that point and you have to think the Slovaks were wondering if they would ever solve Stuhrmann, who channeled his inner Philipp Grubauer or Olaf Kolzig.
The Germans didn’t sulk or have a let down after giving up the first goal and came close to tying the game with David Lewandowski and Maxim Shafer both getting good shots in close on Slovakian netminder Michal Pradel in the final minute. Although Slovakia led on the shot clock 25-12 after two periods, they had just one goal to show for it.
Slovakia, though, extended its lead to 2-0 six minutes into the third. Tobias Tomik drove down the right side, button hooked at the half wall and then made a nice pass to a wide-open Tomka, whose snap shot beat Stuhrmann above the right pad. It was Tomka’s first goal of this U18s.
Radivojevic, Slovakia’s captain, made it 3-0 with a wrist shot from the point on a powerplay. That ended up being the game winner.
"It was on the powerplay, I saw good screens there in front of the net, and I just tried to shoot it to empty space," said Radivojevic. "Guys did a good job in front of the net and it was an important goal."
Germany didn’t go away and Mateu Mariscal Spath fed Bleicher for a tip-in goal with just over six minutes left in the game. Penkin scored with 36 seconds left to make it 3-2, setting the stage for the wild finish.
Slovakia dictated the game from the opening puck drop but weren’t rewarded with a goal in the first. Slovakia had nine shots on net before the Germans got their first and, if it weren’t for several great saves by Lukas Stuhrmann, the Slovaks would have had a lead.
The Germans seemed to get back a bit of momentum late in the first with strong back-to-back shifts, capped by a hard drive to the net by Rihards Griva, who has been on a line with twin brother Gustavs throughout the event. Rihards flew in off a good rush and forced Slovakia goaltender Michal Pradel to make his toughest save of the first.
Slovakia outshot Germany 13-3 in the first period.
The Slovaks didn’t relent in the second and took another 12 shots at the German net.
Tomas Chrenko, looking for his sixth goal of the tournament, had a glorious chance midway through the period when he found open ice and got a hard snap shot on Stuhrmann, who made the save with his blocker and directed the puck to the corner out of harm’s way.
Later, defenceman Adam Goljer snuck in from the point and got off a hard shot from point-blank range, another shot turned away by Stuhrmann.
Slovakia will now await its semifinal opponent, while Germany’s tournament is over.
Ahead 3-1 and in control of the game, the Slovaks gave up a goal to Germany's Max Penkin with 38 seconds left in the third. Then, with German goaltender Lukas Stuhrmann pulled for an extra attacker, Rihards Griva just missed on a slot shot with seconds on the clock. Had the puck gone in, the game would have gone to overtime.
Instead, Slovakia barely held on for a 3-2 win, which gives it a berth in Friday's semifinals.
"We did a really good job the entire game," said Slovak captain Luka Radivojevic. "We had some problems scoring a little bit early but then we broke through it and it was awesome."
Stuhrmann was the star in this game, making 33 saves on 36 shots. The Slovaks came in waves starting from the opening puck drop and Stuhrmann made highlight-reel saves in each period to give his team a chance. He said coming so close hurts, as Germany was looking to reach the semifinals of the U18s for the first time ever.
"It’s a tough loss. We had the chance to make it to the semifinals, we had the team," said the star goaltender. "We were not able to bring it on the ice in the end. It's frustrating."
The game was scoreless until late in the second period. With 3:14 left in the frame, Jan Chovan, one of 10 returnees to Slovakia from the 2024 U18 team that finished fourth at worlds, flew down on his off wing for a partial breakaway, and fired a shot that just missed the net.
The puck rimmed around the wall but bounced back to Chovan, who found himself alone in the slot for a second chance. This time, he didn’t miss, snapping a shot through the five-hole of German goaltender Lukas Stuhrmann to give Slovakia a 1-0 lead late in the second period.
Lukas Tomka and Luka Radivojevic scored to add to Slovakia's lead. Slovakia held a 3-0 lead with 13 minutes left in the game and seemed to be in control. But Max Bleicher, at 13:29, and Penkin, at 19:22, scored for Germany to provide some tense moments late in the game for the Slovaks.
Slovakia has finished fourth at this tournament in back-to-back years and is looking to win a medal at U18s for the first time since getting silver in 2003.
"We are really excited. The last two years, we didn’t get a medal but, this year, we’re going for it, for sure," said Radivojevic. "We just have to play our game, play brother for brother. It’s going to be good."
Alex Misiak and Radivojevic played a large part in the Slovaks’ icebreaking goal, with Radivojevic making the initial quick up pass to spring Chovan and then Misiak holding the line and keeping the puck in to create that second shot by the goal scorer.
Chovan’s shot that found the back of the net was the 22nd for Slovakia to that point and you have to think the Slovaks were wondering if they would ever solve Stuhrmann, who channeled his inner Philipp Grubauer or Olaf Kolzig.
The Germans didn’t sulk or have a let down after giving up the first goal and came close to tying the game with David Lewandowski and Maxim Shafer both getting good shots in close on Slovakian netminder Michal Pradel in the final minute. Although Slovakia led on the shot clock 25-12 after two periods, they had just one goal to show for it.
Slovakia, though, extended its lead to 2-0 six minutes into the third. Tobias Tomik drove down the right side, button hooked at the half wall and then made a nice pass to a wide-open Tomka, whose snap shot beat Stuhrmann above the right pad. It was Tomka’s first goal of this U18s.
Radivojevic, Slovakia’s captain, made it 3-0 with a wrist shot from the point on a powerplay. That ended up being the game winner.
"It was on the powerplay, I saw good screens there in front of the net, and I just tried to shoot it to empty space," said Radivojevic. "Guys did a good job in front of the net and it was an important goal."
Germany didn’t go away and Mateu Mariscal Spath fed Bleicher for a tip-in goal with just over six minutes left in the game. Penkin scored with 36 seconds left to make it 3-2, setting the stage for the wild finish.
Slovakia dictated the game from the opening puck drop but weren’t rewarded with a goal in the first. Slovakia had nine shots on net before the Germans got their first and, if it weren’t for several great saves by Lukas Stuhrmann, the Slovaks would have had a lead.
The Germans seemed to get back a bit of momentum late in the first with strong back-to-back shifts, capped by a hard drive to the net by Rihards Griva, who has been on a line with twin brother Gustavs throughout the event. Rihards flew in off a good rush and forced Slovakia goaltender Michal Pradel to make his toughest save of the first.
Slovakia outshot Germany 13-3 in the first period.
The Slovaks didn’t relent in the second and took another 12 shots at the German net.
Tomas Chrenko, looking for his sixth goal of the tournament, had a glorious chance midway through the period when he found open ice and got a hard snap shot on Stuhrmann, who made the save with his blocker and directed the puck to the corner out of harm’s way.
Later, defenceman Adam Goljer snuck in from the point and got off a hard shot from point-blank range, another shot turned away by Stuhrmann.
Slovakia will now await its semifinal opponent, while Germany’s tournament is over.
Slovakia vs Germany - QF#1 - 2025 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship
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