Thursday’s matches began with the battle for 9th-12th place. First up was a thrilling match between Germany and the Netherlands. The Dutch were close to writing their fairy tale ending, but the Germans scored two goals in the final minutes to secure the victory.
Netherlands – Germany 3:5 (0:2, 2:0, 1:3)
Thursday kicked off with a thrilling match between the Netherlands and Germany. Germany, ranked 10th in the world, has not missed a single championships, while the Netherlands is participating for the first time in ten years and is ranked 21st in the world. Nevertheless, they managed to trouble the favorites from Germany and close a two-goal deficit during the second period. Both teams entered the final period with the score tied, and the players in orange took the lead for the first time in the match, but the Germans quickly equalized again. Just when it looked like the game would go to a shootout, the Germans added two quick goals to the Dutch team’s misfortune and will now fight for 9th place.
Estonia – Poland 2:5 (0:1, 2:2, 0:2)
The second match of Thursday’s program offered a showdown between Estonia and Poland. Estonia had fallen to Denmark 1-4 in the round of 16, while Poland lost a close battle with Norway only after a shootout. Backed by numerous groups of supporters, the Polish players gradually built a comfortable three-goal lead. However, Estonia began to chip away at the deficit in the second half of the middle period, and after goals by Vaart-Molder and Oispuu, the scoreboard showed the narrowest possible Polish lead after forty minutes of play. The northernmost Baltic nation attempted to erase Poland’s advantage in the final period, but without success. Stein and Dzymala then sealed Poland’s victory with empty-net goals. Poland will therefore face Germany in the match for ninth place. Estonia will take on the Netherlands in the game for eleventh place.
Czechia – Norway 9:2 (2:1, 5:0, 2:1)
The Czech Republic secured their place in the semi-finals with a clear 9:2 win over Norway. However, the duel was not one-sided the whole time. The Norwegians were quite annoying to the favorites in the first period and even tied the match at 1:1. The turning point came in the second period of the match, when the Czech Republic scored five goals in a row and finally broke their opponent. The Norwegian team is therefore facing a fight for fifth place, while the visiting Czech Republic is fighting for medals.
Switzerland – Slovakia 14:1 (4:0, 4:0, 6:1)
The second Thursday quarterfinal, which would decide who advances to play for the medals, began with the expected Swiss pressure. That pressure quickly paid off, as Switzerland opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The Swiss game plan was clear: keep possession, combine well, and control the tempo, while Slovakia sat deeper and looked to strike on the counterattack. It was Switzerland’s strategy that proved far more effective. They took the first period 4-0. Nothing much changed in the second period. The players in red and white added four more goals, while Slovakia struggled to create any meaningful chances. A curious moment came on Switzerland’s eighth goal, when Slovakia made a bold decision to pull their goalkeeper-but the gamble backfired immediately as they conceded into an empty net. The start of the third period was nothing short of a nightmare for Slovakia, who allowed three goals within the opening minute. At least a small consolation arrived in the third minute of the final frame, when Faktorová scored Slovakia’s lone goal of the game. In the end, Switzerland cruised to a 14:1 victory and will move on to face Latvia or Sweden in the semifinals. Slovakia will compete in the playoff for 5th place.
