Dmitry Khristich’s team took the lead in the group
Ukrainian national hockey team beat Poland in a shootout in the second round of the pre-qualifying tournament Olympics 2026 – 3:2.
The Poles opened the scoring and led after the first period. At the beginning of the second 20 minutes, the blue-yellows managed to equalize the score, Denis Borodai scored. However, Poland again took the lead. Evgeniy Ratushny again established equality in the third period and the match went into overtime.
The additional five minutes did not reveal the winner. In the shootout, the Poles scored their first try. The Ukrainians managed to beat the opposing goalkeeper only from the third shootout. The next shot of the blue-yellows was successful again, while Poland did not score again.
The Ukrainian team scored 5 points and led Group J. Let us recall that in the first round the blue-yellows beat South Korea (4:0). In the third round, Dmitry Khristich’s team will meet Estonia on February 11.
Of the qualifying quartet, only one team will advance to the final round of Olympic qualification. The final round is another group stage. Only the best teams in each quartet will qualify directly for the Olympic tournament in Milan, which will take place in February 2026.
- Pre-qualifying tournament for the 2026 Olympics. Group J. 2nd round
Poland – Ukraine — 2:3 B (1:0, 1:1, 0:1, 0:0, 1:2)
Washers: 1:0 – Gurni (Frashko), 07:15. 1:1 – Borodai (Grebenik, Korenchuk), 22:22. 2:1 – Kolusz (Dziubinski, Jezierski), 33:45. 2:2 – Ratushny (Korenchuk, Morozov), 43:43. 2:3 — Crow (winning shootout)
Source: Sportarena
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
