photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Michal CHWIEDUK
Poles advance with shutout win over Korea
Poland rose to the occasion on home ice to win the 2025 Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification, Round 3, Group F. Five different scorers and four third-period goals sparked the hosts to a big 5-0 win over top-seeded Korea in Bytom.
Poland will now move on to the Final Olympic Qualification, Group G in Tomakomai, Japan, taking place from 6 to 9 February 2025. The Poles will face Japan, China and France. The first-place team will qualify for Milano Cortina 2026.
Delivering a successful start for new coach Arkadiusz Sobecki, Poland earned its place with a perfect record, scoring 19 times with netminder Martyna Sass allowing just one goal. Bytom continues to be a happy hunting ground for the Polish women´s national team. It’s the second time in a row they’ve advanced to the Final Olympic Qualification at this venue in Upper Silesia.
In the winner-takes-it-all game versus Korea, Poland went ahead on the power play just past the halfway mark of the first frame. Skating with their top line, Wiktoria Sikorska converted her team´s opener for the second straight game. It also marked Korea’s first goal surrendered in the tournament after 130:20 of play.
Prior to facing Poland, Korea enjoyed an easy passage in Group F. Coach Do-Yun Kim’s team had just four shots fired against them in a 6-0 win against Mexico. It was followed by a decisive 4-0 victory versus Chinese Taipei, marking a memorable debut and shutout for teenage netminder Yeonju Kim.
With Kim getting the nod between the pipes versus Poland, Korea went looking for an equalizer in the middle frame. Squandering three separate power plays proved costly, with netminder Sass, selected as Poland´s best player of the game, in inspirational form during a goalless second frame.
Seven players on the Korean roster skated on the Unified Korean women's team at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. With Korean Olympic hopes still alive heading into the final frame, Poland ruthlessly crushed them.
Veteran Ewelina Czarnecka first led by example, doubling Poland´s lead at 53:23. Just 12 seconds later, Olivia Tomczok then made it a three-goal edge. With Kim yanked from the Korean net, tournament top-scorer Karolina Pozniewska tallied an empty-netter in front of friends and family in her hometown. Weronika Huchel added further gloss to the victory, scoring Poland’s fifth goal in the dying moments.
En route to an unblemished record in Group F, Polish blueliner Dominika Korkuz enjoyed a rare offensive streak, scoring a brace in a 5-1 opening day win versus Chinese Taipei. Six different scorers then tallied on Day Two, as the Poles kept their foot on the gas throughout in a 9-0 blanking of Mexico.
At the other end of the table, Giovanna Rojas converted Mexico’s first goal in Bytom in its closing game versus Chinese Taipei. The 24-year-old Buffalos Metepec forward then kept her cool, converting a couple of attempts in a nervy 3-2 marathon shootout victory. Bertha Gonzalez also tallied in regulation before netting the shootout winner for the Mexicans in the 13th round.
Chinese Taipei, the lowest-ranked team in Group F, finished last with one point in Jen-Hung Huang´s debut as the women´s national team head coach. The East Asians will get a chance to redeem themselves at this very same venue in less than four months when both teams return for the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division II Group A tournament.
Poland rose to the occasion on home ice to win the 2025 Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification, Round 3, Group F. Five different scorers and four third-period goals sparked the hosts to a big 5-0 win over top-seeded Korea in Bytom.
Poland will now move on to the Final Olympic Qualification, Group G in Tomakomai, Japan, taking place from 6 to 9 February 2025. The Poles will face Japan, China and France. The first-place team will qualify for Milano Cortina 2026.
Delivering a successful start for new coach Arkadiusz Sobecki, Poland earned its place with a perfect record, scoring 19 times with netminder Martyna Sass allowing just one goal. Bytom continues to be a happy hunting ground for the Polish women´s national team. It’s the second time in a row they’ve advanced to the Final Olympic Qualification at this venue in Upper Silesia.
In the winner-takes-it-all game versus Korea, Poland went ahead on the power play just past the halfway mark of the first frame. Skating with their top line, Wiktoria Sikorska converted her team´s opener for the second straight game. It also marked Korea’s first goal surrendered in the tournament after 130:20 of play.
Prior to facing Poland, Korea enjoyed an easy passage in Group F. Coach Do-Yun Kim’s team had just four shots fired against them in a 6-0 win against Mexico. It was followed by a decisive 4-0 victory versus Chinese Taipei, marking a memorable debut and shutout for teenage netminder Yeonju Kim.
With Kim getting the nod between the pipes versus Poland, Korea went looking for an equalizer in the middle frame. Squandering three separate power plays proved costly, with netminder Sass, selected as Poland´s best player of the game, in inspirational form during a goalless second frame.
Seven players on the Korean roster skated on the Unified Korean women's team at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. With Korean Olympic hopes still alive heading into the final frame, Poland ruthlessly crushed them.
Veteran Ewelina Czarnecka first led by example, doubling Poland´s lead at 53:23. Just 12 seconds later, Olivia Tomczok then made it a three-goal edge. With Kim yanked from the Korean net, tournament top-scorer Karolina Pozniewska tallied an empty-netter in front of friends and family in her hometown. Weronika Huchel added further gloss to the victory, scoring Poland’s fifth goal in the dying moments.
En route to an unblemished record in Group F, Polish blueliner Dominika Korkuz enjoyed a rare offensive streak, scoring a brace in a 5-1 opening day win versus Chinese Taipei. Six different scorers then tallied on Day Two, as the Poles kept their foot on the gas throughout in a 9-0 blanking of Mexico.
At the other end of the table, Giovanna Rojas converted Mexico’s first goal in Bytom in its closing game versus Chinese Taipei. The 24-year-old Buffalos Metepec forward then kept her cool, converting a couple of attempts in a nervy 3-2 marathon shootout victory. Bertha Gonzalez also tallied in regulation before netting the shootout winner for the Mexicans in the 13th round.
Chinese Taipei, the lowest-ranked team in Group F, finished last with one point in Jen-Hung Huang´s debut as the women´s national team head coach. The East Asians will get a chance to redeem themselves at this very same venue in less than four months when both teams return for the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division II Group A tournament.