Neuchatel, Switzerland, December 11, 2019 – Top ten seeds Germany, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia all reached the last eight after making it through their playoff games.
Today’s beaten playoff sides, Australia, Denmark, Norway and Singapore, will contest the 9th-12th classification ties, while Japan and Estonia reached the classification tie for 13th place.
Patinoires du Littoral:
10:00 am- Thailand 3:6 Japan (Classification 13th-16th M1)
Japan will have the chance to finish in 13th place at the WFC 2019 after braces from Mahiro Shimizu, Miku Sagaya and Yui Takahashi secured their first win of the campaign in the classification tie against Thailand.
The Thais will still have one more match of their own to look forward to, where they will play for 15th place at this year’s tournament, and they will seek to make it a better display than today after Asia’s best ranked side Japan proved too strong on the day.
Yui Takahashi’s double sandwiched between Mahiro Shimizu’s opener and Miku Sagaya’s effort saw the Japanese four goals to the good after 15 minutes, but the Thais were on the scoresheet before the first break, through Suthasinee Phalaruk.
Seven minutes after the restart, Miku Sagaya notched her double of the day, the only goal throughout a competitive second period. The Thais started the final third of the game the stronger, as Rungnapa Kebsomrong slotted in, but Mahiro Shimizu responded by completing her double for Japan’s sixth; before a Japanese own-goal made the scoreline less flattering.
This first win will give Japan a lift heading into their final game with Estonia, while the Thais will look to bounce back in the final classification match for 15th place against the USA.
1:00 pm- Germany 7:6 Singapore (Playoff)
Anna Lena Best hit a last minute winner to beat Singapore 7:6 and propel Germany into a quarter-final date with Sweden.
It is Germany’s first win of the campaign, and it came in dramatic fashion to break Singaporean hearts after the Southeast Asian side had put in a monumental effort.
The Asian side, ranked 15th in the world, went into this tie as rank outsiders against the eighth ranked Germans, despite the European side being winless going into the game and Singapore having topped Group D with a 100% record. And Singapore were just over ten minutes away from a historic victory, with a 6:5 lead after Jowie Tan’s third period strike, before the Germans stunned them with two late goals to deprive them of a place in the last eight.
Germany made the better start of the two teams, with goals from Laura Honicke, Jessica Schulz and Andrea Gerdes sandwiching an Amanda Yeap goal for Singapore, handing the Europeans a 3:1 lead by the first break.
Singapore hit back in the second period as Yeap was on hand to fire in her second before Siti Nurhaliza Khairul Anuar got them back on terms. The momentum then swung the way of Germany, as Anna Lena Best’s first goal of the campaign edged the Germans back in front and Kisa Reck doubled the lead for 5:3.
A tempestuous game then tilted in Singapore’s favour, as a German own goal cut the deficit to just one, before Jerelee Ong pounced five seconds before the second interval to restore parity. If that sparked wild celebrations on the Singaporean bench, they were in raptures just over ten minutes from the end when Jowie Tan hammered in to give them a late advantage. But, cruelly for Singapore, they were unable to hold on.
With little over eight minutes remaining, Kisa Reck levelled the tie to spark a frantic closing few minutes, and after intense pressure, Singapore’s resistance crumbled: Reck turning provider for Best to fire home and send the Germans into the quarter-finals. Relief on the German bench, delirium among their fans, and the confidence booster of a vital win at the most crucial of times to take into the next round against defending champions Sweden.
For crestfallen Singapore, there is still the consolation of a potential ninth place finish to fight for, starting with a showdown against Denmark.
4:00 pm- Slovakia 6:3 Denmark (Playoff)
Braces from Kristina Hudáková and Michaela Sponiarova helped lift Slovakia into the quarter finals with a 6:3 win over a defiant Denmark, who will now enter the 9th-12th classification ties.
The Slovaks were out of the blocks quickly, opening up a 3:1 lead after just six minutes; Slovak goals from Kristina Hudáková, Denisa Ferencikova and Alzbeta Durikova sandwiching Klara Fjorder’s effort for the Danes.
The Slovaks briefly upped the ante after the break as Sponiarova built on their lead, but Cecilia Di Nardo and Lina Voldby both hit back for Denmark to ensure Slovakia’s lead going into the final third was a solo goal.
Within the first ten minutes of the closing period, however, Slovakia pulled clear: Sponiarova and Hudáková completed their braces to see them safely through to the last eight with a 6:3 scoreline. 2017 silver medalists Finland lie in wait for the Slovaks, while Denmark must prepare for a date with Singapore in their first classification match.
7:00 pm- Poland 10:3 Australia (Playoff)
Poland overturned an early deficit to oust Australia and advance to a quarter-final tie with the Czech Republic, whilst the Aussies will battle in the 9th-12th classification ties with Norway the opponents.
Jessica Birks’ early goal had the Aussies dreaming of a famous upset early on, but retaliation conversions from Katarzyna Rogala and Malwina Zagorska quickly put paid to those thoughts.
Agnieszka Timek-Dziadkowiec extended the lead just after the break, before Carolyn Margetts cut the deficit to 3:2.
Poland star Justyna Krzywak popped up with a goal before Margetts duly replied for Australia, but Dominica Buczek had the final word in the second period to extend the Polish advantage to 5:3.
In the closing period, the Poles upped the intensity, and comfortably saw out the tie with further goals from Rogala, Krzywak, Timek-Dziadkowiec and Klaudia Szelzchen. The Poles take the momentum from their second win into a clash with the Czechs, while the Aussies will have to get over their disappointment to be ready for a showdown with Norway.
La Riveraine:
12:00 pm- Latvia 6:4 Norway (Playoff)
Simona Grapena’s hat-trick helped Latvia overcome Norway in a playoff thriller and reach the quarter-finals, sending the Scandinavians- beaten for the first time this campaign- into the 9th-12th classification ties.
As expected, the clash between the winless World Number Five seeds and in-form Group C winners Norway, ranked ninth, proved a breathtaking spectacle for supporters both in attendance and watching across the world. The Latvians drew first blood with Julija Rozite’s opening goal in the 13th minute, before Norway turned the match on its head with two goals in two minutes before the first interval. Hildegun Holm netted her first goal of the 2019 competition, before Norway’s young star Rikke Ingebrigtsli Hansen delivered the goods again to edge her side ahead.
Grapena’s first goal of the match came eight minutes into the second period to restore parity, only for Norway to peg back the Latvians once more after forcing an own goal just after the half-hour mark. From there, the Baltic side raised their game, and swung the game back in their favour within just four minutes. Laura Gargere hit a deserved equaliser before Grapena’s second put Latvia in the driving seat at 4:3, preluding Elizabete Pavlovska’s effort on 34 minutes. A 5:3 lead going into the closing period, and Latvia were at last in the ascendency.
And from there, they pressed home the advantage. Grapena pounced to complete her hattrick just 19 second into the closing period, before Ingebrigstli Hansen clinched her brace with a Norwegian goal which upped the pressure with 12 minutes remaining. But the Latvians held on for a precious first win of the campaign at a vital time, sealing passage to the last eight.
Norway will be disappointed after surrendering their 100% record and falling short, but there is still plenty to play for as they will turn their attention to finishing as high as possible in the final table.
3:00 pm- Estonia 4:3 USA (Classification 13th-16th M2)
Kati Kutisaar’s hattrick-clinching golden goal in overtime handed Estonia victory in their classification match with the USA, meaning the Baltic side will play for 13th place against Japan and the Americans will face Thailand for 15th place.
The Estonians were forced to come from behind to force overtime after Marie Haggstrom’s double had the USA two goals up after half an hour, but a stunning third period comeback suddenly brought the match level.
Kati Kutisaar grabbed Estonia’s first two minutes into the closing period, before Merli Suvari levelled the tie just two minutes later.
Haggstrom clinched her hattrick with nine minutes remaining to put the Americans on the cusp of victory, but Kutisaar slammed in a dramatic equaliser just eight seconds from the full-time klaxon to send the match to overtime.
It took two minutes for the Estonians to craft a golden goal winner in the added period, Kutisaar capping off a superb individual performance with her hattrick goal to kill the game.