Farewell song for Slovenia - national anthem

11 May 2015Petr Polák»

Regardless Slovenia is the team from Group B of the 2015 World Championships who is relegated to Division IA for the next year, it leaves the tournament with a victory. The Bobcats beat Denmark 1-0.

A duel between Slovenia and Denmark becomes the first pointless game in this year`s World Championship. Slovenia is locked in the last position of Group B and is going to be relegated from the tournament`s Top Division.

Should the second last Denmark win, it would skip over the fifth Norway, however as there is no practical use of such a maneuver, neither Denmark players wanted to ruin the upcoming vacation time with some unnecessary injury.

Thus the spectators watched a game very friendly. End-to-end hockey, still missing any fights or even fouls. During the whole sixty minutes of play, just two penalties were called. One for tripping of Slovenia Klemen Pretnar and the other for technical issue - Denmark played with six men.

Face-off. Photo: Roman Kantor

Neither of the two powerplays in the third period was transformed in a goal and as neither Denmark converted with six men in the field nor Slovenia did score to the empty net during last seconds of play, the only record in the scoring list remains the Ziga Pance`s deflection to Sabahudin Kovacevic`s slap shot from the tenth minute of the game.

"Our original goal for the tournament was to stay in the Top Division as we are sick and tired of moving between the pools," the only goal-scorer Pance says, "however before this game we set up a new goal - to hear our national anthem at least once."

After all, the victory over Denmark is a way to say thank you to all hundreds of fans which were present to every Slovenian game on the tournament in stands: "Yes, the fans were incredible, trying to be our extra player. Unfortunately we did not make it on the ice. Big thanks to everybody who came, we hope to get back to the Top Division for 2017."