Slovakia’s under-17 hockey team delivered a starkly different performance against Sweden compared to their opening game loss to Finland at the Five Nations Tournament in Seinäjoki, Finland on April 16, 2026.
Head coach Peter Kúdelka praised his players for responding to criticism after an 8-0 defeat to Finland two days earlier, stating the team approached their responsibilities with “100 percent better” effort against Sweden.
“Diametrálne odlišný výkon. Som veľmi rád, že hráči pristúpili k povinnostiam o sto percent lepšie. Po Fínsku dostali tvrdú spätnú väzbu a som rád, že sme 48 minút hrali so Švédskom nerozhodne,” Kúdelka said in his post-game remarks reported by HockeySlovakia.sk.
The Slovakians competed evenly with Sweden for much of the game before eventually falling in their second tournament match. Whereas the final score wasn’t specified in the verified sources, Kúdelka highlighted that his team remained tied with Sweden through 48 minutes of play.
This marked a significant turnaround from Wednesday’s opening game where Finland dominated Slovakia 8-0. According to Šport.sk, Finland outshot Slovakia 60-0 on goalie Jakub Husár during that opening loss, with goals coming from Kylmälä, Ikonen (two), Torvinen, Liljeberg (two), Pahkamaa, and Fredrikson.
Slovakia’s U17 roster for the tournament included Husár in net, with defenders Čongrády, Kohút, Lajčín, Donoval, Pšenek, Škripec, Klačanský, and Čop. The forwards consisted of Zamborský, Halaš, Pisarčík, Gonšor, Rychlík, Šimončič, Strnádel, Šušoliak, Lazovský, Vrabec, Mrva, and Podkonický.
The team is scheduled to face the Czech Republic on Friday followed by a final game against Switzerland on Sunday as they continue their participation in the Five Nations Tournament for players aged 17 and under.
The improvement against Sweden demonstrates the team’s ability to adjust quickly after a difficult opening loss, addressing the shortcomings that led to being outshot 60-0 just two days prior.
As the tournament progresses, Slovakia will look to build on their competitive showing against Sweden when they take on their next opponents in Seinäjoki.
What are your thoughts on Slovakia U17’s performance against Sweden? Share your views in the comments below and follow along for updates on their remaining games in the Five Nations Tournament.
