After a full programme of games here in Geneva today, Austria and Czechia are neck and neck in Pool B. Meanwhile in Pool A Poland, hosts Switzerland, and Croatia are all still in the semi-final mix.
In game one Austria began the EuroHockey U21 Indoor Championships with a commanding 6-2 victory over Italy in Geneva. The opening goal by Jakob Bauer set the tone in the first period, with Austria extending their lead to 3-0 by halftime. Italy fought back with goals from Cristian Frizzi and Valerio Lossa, but Austria’s relentless attack, highlighted by Julian Kaiser’s penalty corner and Mateusz Nyckowiak’s penalty stroke, sealed their dominance. Munaweersa added the final goal to secure the win. Austria’s captain Nyckowiak, speaking after the game was satisfied with the win but hopes they can improve their performance over the coming games.
In the second game of the day, Czechia made an impressive comeback in their Championship opener, defeating Türkiye 6-2 in Geneva. Despite Türkiye’s early lead, with goals from Zeynel Öz and Ali Kızılırmak, Czechia rallied back. Jonáš Lupač began the resurgence, followed by a penalty stroke from Jakub Homolka. Stibor’s penalty corner gave Czechia the lead, which they extended with field goals from František Toms and Homolka. Toms sealed the win with a late goal, completing a dominant second half. Ales Perinka’s side showcased resilience and tactical precision, overturning an early deficit to secure a decisive victory.
In game 3 Poland secured a thrilling 6-5 victory over Croatia in their EuroHockey U21 Indoor Championship opener. Croatia started strong, with Šoić, Bachmann, and Zidanić contributing to a 3-1 halftime lead. Poland fought back, led by captain Jakub Hołosyniuk, who scored four times, including two penalty corners and two field goals. Henryk Wolsztyński and Emil Witczak also added crucial goals in the comeback. Domagoj Hrupec’s late strike brought Croatia close, but Poland held firm. Dariusz Rachwalski’s team showcased remarkable resilience and finishing in this exciting encounter.
In the final game of the morning session, Switzerland triumphed 7-4 over Denmark in a high-scoring clash. Switzerland’s captain Yannick Hug led with a hat-trick, including a crucial equalizer before halftime. Denmark fought back through Julius Lund and Hector Nørgaard, briefly taking the lead, but Switzerland’s Fritz Eickhoff and Jonathan Baumbach turned the game in their favour. Jens Flück sealed the win with a penalty stroke, and Clemént Thijs added the final goal. Jair Levie’s Swiss side displayed clinical finishing and composure after a nervous start in front of a boisterous crowd of local schoolchildren.
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Game 5 saw Italy and Türkiye got the evening session underway. The Italians recorded their first win of the tournament Italy delivered a dominant performance, defeating Türkiye 7-3 in their Pool A clash. A first win for Italy. Jonas Carelli opened the scoring and added another in the second half, while Pietro Faggian netted twice quickly to extend Italy’s lead. Alessandro Calzolari and Matteo Frizzi also contributed, with Frizzi scoring a penalty corner and a late field goal. Türkiye fought back through Zeynel Öz’s two penalty corners and a field goal from Ali Kızılırmak, but Italy’s commanding attack proved decisive. Petr Bodnar’s team showcased their offensive prowess in an impressive victory.
In a battle for the top of the pool overnight Czechia and Austria played out a thrilling 3-3 draw. Austria took an early lead through Mateusz Nyckowiak’s penalty corner and Julian Kaiser’s field goal, holding a 2-0 advantage at halftime. Czechia responded in the second half with a penalty corner from Martin Plachý and a field goal by Adam Holík to level the score. Maximilian Meisel restored Austria’s lead, but Czechia equalized late through Štěpán Šmíd’s field goal. Both teams had chances in the dying moments, but had to settle for the draw and an equal ranking overnight.
Ranking Pool A:
Game 7 and Pool B was back underway with Denmark and Croatia looking for their first points on the board. Croatia edged Denmark 7-5 in a high-scoring clash. Croatia took the lead through Domagoj Hrupec but faced resistance from Denmark, with Oliver Sørensen equalising. Luka Mesarić’s consistent scoring gave Croatia momentum, while Hector Nørgaard’s penalty corners kept Denmark in contention. André Zidanić and Matthias Bachmann extended Croatia’s lead in the second half. Despite Magnus Thorsted’s late goal for Denmark, Croatia’s captain Ivan Šoić and Fran Nemčić sealed the victory. Nikola Hanzek’s team demonstrated attacking flair and resilience in a thrilling contest that gave Croatia the 3 points and kept their tournament hopes alive.
In the final game of the day hosts Switzerland and Poland played out a cracking game. Low scoring but that didn’t take away from the drama as Switzerland secured a narrow 3-2 victory. Poland took an early lead through Aleks Marcinkowski’s field goal, but Switzerland equalized with Léonard Kraxner’s first-half strike. In the second half, Poland’s captain Jakub Hołosyniuk restored their advantage with a penalty corner. However, Switzerland responded quickly with Alessio Brunold leveling the score and Kraxner clinching the game with a late penalty corner. Jair Levie’s team showed composure and determination to secure the win in a fiercely contested encounter. Poland fought valiantly but fell short in the final moments.
Ranking Pool B:
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Poland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Denmark | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 0 |
Results:
| Time | Teams | Title | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | AUT – ITA | Pool A | 6 – 2 |
| 11:25 | CZE – TUR | Pool A | 6 – 2 |
| 12:50 | POL – CRO | Pool B | 6 – 5 |
| 14:15 | SUI – DEN | Pool B | 7 – 4 |
| 16:00 | ITA – TUR | Pool A | 7 – 3 |
| 17:20 | CZE – AUT | Pool A | 3 – 3 |
| 18:40 | DEN – CRO | Pool B | 5 – 7 |
| 20:00 | POL – SUI | Pool B | 2 – 3 |
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