World Championship 2025: Austria take to the ice against Slovakia full of confidence
Although the opening two games at the 2025 World Championship against Finland and hosts Sweden did not yield any points, they definitely provided one thing: confidence. The next opponents are Slovakia on Monday at 16:20, live on ORF 1, a side Austria have only narrowly lost to in their two most recent meetings.
2 min read
In August last year, Austria suffered an agonisingly narrow 1:2 defeat in Bratislava (SVK) in Olympic qualification for the 2026 Olympic Games, followed by a 0:1 loss at the Deutschland Cup in Landshut (GER) the following November.
Like Austria, their neighbours have already faced the hosts at the 2025 World Championship, losing 0:5 to Sweden. They bounced back on Sunday afternoon with a 3:1 win over Slovenia. As against Finland and Sweden, Austria are underdogs on paper. They demonstrated impressively last year and already this year what they are capable of achieving from that position.
“Our performances have taken us a step in the right direction. Now it is about winning games,” stresses Benjamin Baumgartner, who scored the winning goal against Finland in 2024 and made it 1:0 against Sweden on Saturday afternoon. A goal that provides a boost, as the Swiss-based player explains: “The line with Thomas Raffl and Vinzenz Rohrer is working very well. We are quick and combine well. Being rewarded with a goal is certainly good for our confidence heading into the next games.”
The two opening games have also given Head Coach Roger Bader cause for optimism: “It shows the progress we have made. It gives us confidence.” The coaching staff will show the players the positive passages against Finland and Sweden again because, “you want to repeat the things that work, as they are successful,” explains Bader.
And perhaps they will lead to Austria’s first points at the World Championship against Slovakia. Austria showed they can beat the 2002 world champions at the 2022 Deutschland Cup and in the build-up to the 2023 World Championship. Overall, however, the record after 45 games clearly favours Slovakia: 8 wins, 2 draws and 35 defeats.
2025 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
9–25 May 2025, Stockholm, Sweden & Herning, Denmark
Austria vs Slovakia
Mon, 12 May 2025, Avicii Arena, 16:20, live on ORF 1
Canada vs Austria
Thu, 15 May 2025, Avicii Arena, 20:20, live on ORF SPORT +
Austria vs France
Fri, 16 May 2025, Avicii Arena, 16:20, live on ORF SPORT + and ORF 1
Slovenia vs. Austria
Sun, 18 May 2025, Avicii Arena, 16:20, live on ORF SPORT + and ORF 1
Latvia vs. Austria
Tue, 20 May 2025, Avicii Arena, 12:20, live on ORF 1
Already played:
Austria vs. Finland 1:2 (1:2,0:0,0:0)
Fri, 09 May 2025, Avicii Arena, 16:20, 6.822
Austria scorer: Bernd Wolf (14th minute)
Finland scorers: Patrik Puistola (5'), Juuso Pärssinen (8')
Sweden vs. Austria 4:2 (0:0,1:1,3:1)
Sat, 10 May 2025, Avicii Arena, 16:20, 12.530
Sweden scorers: Mika Zibanejad (34./PP1, 58. ), Jonas Brodin (58. ), Alexander Wennberg (59./EN)
Austria scorers: Benjamin Baumgartner (26), Marco Kasper (53)
For more information, follow the ÖEHV social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn follow!
