The first play-off matches of the Women’s World Floorball Championships were played. Slovakia was the first to secure a place among the top eight, joined by Norway after a shootout. Norway will play in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021, facing the home team right away. Latvia secured their place in the quarterfinals in the third period, and Denmark will also be in the quarterfinals.
Slovakia – Netherlands 11:4 (4:1, 4:0, 3:3)
Yesterday, the Slovak women closed out the match day against Sweden, while today they open it against the Netherlands. For the players in orange, just reaching the quarterfinals was a success. They fought their way to the world championships after ten years and immediately made their mark by advancing from the group stage. They even surprised the favored Slovaks when they opened the scoring in the first period, and thanks to some fabulous saves by the Dutch goalkeeper, they were unable to equalize for a long time. However, once they broke through the Dutch wall in the first period, a flurry of goals ensued, which the tournament newcomers found difficult to resist. Although the Dutch reduced the deficit in the final period, they were unable to overturn the result and will now play for ninth place.
Poland – Norway 1:2 pn (1:0, 0:0, 0:1, 0:0)
A match that would determine success or failure for both teams at the championships unfolded from the very start in a fantastic atmosphere created by the fans. The game was evenly balanced early on, with several half-chances on both sides. The opening goal, however, did not come until the 15th minute, when a Norwegian defensive error allowed Poland to take a 1-0 lead. The Poles then successfully killed off a penalty and headed to the locker room with the slimmest possible advantage. At the start of the second period, Poland had a golden opportunity to extend their lead. Dominika Buczek was awarded a penalty shot, but she failed to convert. The score remained 1-0 all the way into the final minute of the third period, when the Scandinavian side pulled their goalkeeper and pushed hard with six players on the field. Their gamble paid off: with just 30 seconds remaining, Norway equalised to make it 1-1.
Overtime produced no winner, sending the game to a shootout. Both teams scored in the opening round. The second round brought no goals. In the third, Dominika Buczek redeemed her earlier miss by scoring, but Norwegian captain Tone Einstulen responded immediately. The fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds remained goalless. Ultimately, it was the experienced Norwegian captain Einstulen who decided the contest in the seventh round. Norway now advance to face the host nation in Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Poland will compete for 9th place.
Latvia – Germany 4:3 (1:1, 1:1, 2:1)
The nerve-wracking battle for the quarterfinals was ultimately won by the Latvians. Although they scored the first goal, Germany had a slight advantage for the rest of the first period. The equalizer came courtesy of the team’s offensive leader, Anna-Lena Best. The Germans then completed the comeback in the second period, but their opponents equalized again just 12 seconds later. A similarly quick change in the score took place at the start of the final period, and it seemed that another overtime period was in the offing with the score at 3-3. However, Latvia managed a brilliant finish – Simona Grapena scored the decisive goal less than six minutes before the end, after which her team gained a numerical advantage and did not let the top eight slip away.
Denmark – Estonia 4:1 (1:0, 1:0, 2:1)
The final play-off, which was also the last match in Brno, was played by Denmark and Estonia. It was a really tough battle, even though Denmark took the lead in the fourth minute thanks to Nanna Falden. The Baltic team defended conscientiously and tried to threaten with counterattacks. However, Denmark increased their lead towards the end of the second period and did not let up after the break. Estonia scored their first goal when the score was 0:4, but it was not enough to advance to the quarterfinals.
