Photo: IIHF / Joan Reyes
Team Israel faced a challenging test in their third game of the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship against China, a strong contender for gold with two previous wins. And our team performed admirably in the first half, keeping the score level until the 34th minute. Despite China taking the lead three times, a goal from Nick Ougortsin and a double from Samson Goldshtein ensured parity.
However, towards the end of the second period, China, with their greater experience and age, took control of the game, scoring four goals in quick succession and securing a significant lead by the second intermission. The outcome was particularly frustrating as our team felt they weren’t significantly outplayed. In fact, Israel even slightly outshot their opponents (18-16) during those 20 minutes but failed to capitalize on their chances.
In the third period, Evgeni Kozhevnikov’s team rallied, dominating with a clear advantage as the shot count stood at 14-5 in their favor. However, despite their efforts, they only managed to score one goal. Nikita Zitserman added his 6th of the tournament, showcasing his prowess as the tournament’s top goalscorer, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the game. China took the verdict 7-4 to move to the top of the table.
Tomorrow presents another tough challenge against the host team, Spain. The puck drops at 2000 local time (2100 in Israel).