Khristich: We didn’t expect such a score not only before the match, but also after the first period

Head coach Ukrainian national hockey team Dmitry Khristich commented on the triumphant start of our team at World Championship 2024 V Division IB.

“Of course we didn’t expect [такого счета] not only before the game, but also after the first period. The game was a success only after we started scoring. And we started scoring because we played correctly. We were a little lucky when at the beginning of the second period there was still water and our puck got stuck in the middle of the ice. And after that we were able to score two goals within 11 seconds of each other.”

“We are thinking about how we can recover and prepare for the game [против Нидерландов]. We don’t think about what kind of opponent this is. We came up to this World Cup to play and get ready for every game.”

“We were preparing for our game. Couldn’t see [матчи соперников]. I saw a little of the last game, a little of the morning one, but I can’t say that I watched it.”

Let us remind you that in the opening round of the World Cup in Division IB, the matches of which take place in Lithuania, the blue-yellows defeated Estonia 8:0. Khristich’s team won the first period with a minimal score, and at the start of the second period they cleared up all questions by scoring three more goals. In the third period, Ukrainian hockey players were able to hit the Estonian goal four more times.

After the first round, Ukraine topped the standings, ahead of Lithuania and China in terms of goal difference. Tomorrow, April 28, Khristich’s team will play against the Netherlands. Starts at 19:30.

Further dates and opponents of the Ukrainian team are as follows: April 30 – China, May 1 – Spain, May 3 – Lithuania. The winner of the tournament will advance to Division I-A; the team that finishes last will be relegated to Division IIA.