Chrenko Hat Trick Leads Slovakia Over Germany in World Junior Championship

In an impressive showing, Tomas Chrenko delivered a hat trick that propelled Slovakia to a 4-1 victory over Germany in the World Junior Championship preliminary round. This match took place at the Grand Casino Arena. The win marks Slovakia’s first in the tournament.

Performance Highlights

Chrenko, who is a C-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list, demonstrated exceptional skill and scoring ability throughout the game. He gained an early advantage for Slovakia, scoring the first goal at 10:33 in the first period. This was followed by a power-play goal he scored at 19:12, extending Slovakia’s lead to 2-0.

• Goals:
  • Tomas Chrenko: 3 Goals
  • Dustin Willhoft (Germany): 1 Goal
  • Adam Belusko: 1 Short-handed, empty-net goal for Slovakia
• Assists:
  • Adam Nemec: 2 Assists
• Saves:
  • Michal Pradel (Slovakia): 34 Saves
  • Linus Viellard (Germany): 34 Saves

Game Summary

Chrenko’s final goal came at 13:23 in the second period, putting Slovakia ahead 3-0. Germany managed to respond shortly after, with Willhoft scoring a backhand goal at 11:09 in the third period, narrowing the gap to 3-1.

Slovakia then sealed their victory with a short-handed goal from Adam Belusko at 19:07, concluding the match at 4-1. The Slovak team showed resilience, especially with goalie Michal Pradel making a crucial 16 saves during the third period.

Upcoming Matches

Both teams are looking ahead to their next challenges in preliminary-round play. Germany will face Sweden on Monday at 1 p.m. ET, while Slovakia is set to take on the United States at 6 p.m. ET.