A friendly match was held in Bled between the youth teams of Ukraine and France, both preparing for the World Championship in Division 1A, which will take place in this Slovenian city from December 7 to 13.
According to the press service of the FHU, this game was crucial for coach Andriy Sryubka's staff as it would help determine which players would be cut from the final roster for the championship.
At the Ledena dvorana arena, our team lost to the French in a shootout, with a score of 2:3 (1:0, 0:0, 1:2, 0:0, 0:1).
In the first period, our team struggled with frequent penalties, yet the French could not capitalize on any power plays. However, Shulha took advantage of the only penalty from the opponent and scored. It seemed that this goal would secure the win; however, in the last three minutes of regulation, both teams exchanged three goals.
First, Shybynskyi doubled Ukraine's lead, but just 15 seconds later, Riu spoiled Boyko's chance for a shutout. After a timeout, the French managed to equalize, scoring with 6 on 4. Overtime saw both teams create scoring chances, but no winner was determined. In a lengthy shootout, the French proved to be more accurate.
The first match of the World Championship will take place on December 7, with Kazakhstan being Ukraine's initial opponent.