Semi-final Saturday started with a major upset as Hungary handed Finland a 7-5 loss in the 7 vs. 8 game of the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship at Centre 200 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Hungary will stay in the top division for a second-straight year in 2027.

"I can't believe it," said Hungarian captain Reka Hiezl. "Obviously, that was our goal, and I always believed in our team and I always believed we could win."

Petra Polonyi had a had trick, Hiezl scored twice and Blanka Temesi and Helga Tamas added singles for Hungary, which had just one goal through its four previous games at this year’s event. Finnish captain Senja Siivonen also scored twice, while Yenna Kolmonen, Emmi Loponen and Julia Kuhta had one goal each.

 

 

 

 

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"I think everyone tried their best but it wasn't enough," Siivonen said. "We have had a lot of pressure on us, especially this last game."

In net, Zoe Takacs got the win in her fourth start in five games for Hungary. Eerika Kujala fell to 0-3 for Finland.

Both sides lost all three of their preliminary-round games, then were shut out by the powerhouse North American teams in their quarter-finals on Thursday. Hungary lost 9-0 to the United States before Finland dropped a 12-0 decision to Canada.

"I don't know what happened," said Finnish coach Mira Kuisma. "My head is so empty right now. We talked about the fact that we need to skate, get speed whenever we can, control the puck, but we didn't do that."

After tying for their worst-ever finish in tournament history in sixth place in 2025, the Finns looked ready to assert themselves early on. After scoring just three goals in their first four games, their power play caught fire with two goals in the opening frame. But each time, Hungary answered back.

At 3:14 into the first period, with Temesi boxed for tripping, Kolomen beat Takacs with a shot from inside the left face-off circle. Just over seven minutes later, top-line right winger Polonyi beat Kujala on a bad-angle shot from close to the goal line for Hungary’s first goal of the game.

But it took only 31 seconds for Finland to go back on the power play and capitalize again. With 7:23 left in the first, the captain Siivonen snapped a shot past Takacs for her second goal this week.

With four minutes remaining, Hungary re-tied the game on their first power play of the game. Just 15 seconds into Tinja Tapani’s interference penalty, captain Reka Hiezl snapped a wrister past Kujala to make the score 2-2.

Hungary outshot Finland 10-8 in the opening frame.

At the 6:36 mark of the second period, Finland re-took the lead when Kolmonen fed Loponen in the slot on a sharp 2-on-1.  

But once again, Hungary quickly answered back. Just 42 seconds later, Szonja Szalai fed Temesi for her second of the game on a nearly identical 2-on-1 play.

But while the Finnish power play continued to get chances, Hungary started to get kills.

When Heizl fed Krisztina Weiler for a shorthanded 2-on-1 that led to a Finnish slashing penalty with 6:12 left in the second, the Hungarians took their first lead of the game when Helga Tamas hammered home her own rebound from just outside the crease, putting her team up 4-3.

Hungary maintained a slight edge in shots after 40 minutes, at 22-21.

In the third, Finland drew level at 3:59 after Kuhta skated into the zone and snapped the puck up high. But after Kujala stopped Boroka Batyi on a breakaway, Hiezl skated in and deked the goalie before depositing the puck in the back of the net to give Hungary a 5-4 lead with 12:12 to play in regulation. 

Polonyi then tallied her second of the game with a power-play one-timer with 6:35 left to play, after Viola Karkkanen was boxed for tripping Hiezl. 

With 3:57 left to play and her team trailing by two, Finnish coach Mira Kuisma called time out while bringing Kujala to the bench for the extra attacker. After heavy pressure with Finland buzzing in the offensive zone, Siivonen got her team within one with 2:05 left to play, before Polonyi notched her hat trick into the empty net with 1:13 remaining.

Final shots in the game were 35-27 for Hungary. 

Polonyi finished the game with three goals and two assists for five points, while Hiezl had four and their other linemate, Weiler, was named best player with two assists and a team-high 10 shots on goal. Hiezl finished with a game-high 29:58 of ice time, while Weiler played 27:49, Hungarian defender Lili Hajdu came in at 27:40 and Polonyi finished at 26:56.

"We have played on the same club since we were nine years old," said Heizl of Polonyi. "We were always linemates. Our connection is always the best. And we've played on the national team for five years. I don't even have to look up. I know where she's going to be."

Siivonen, Kolomen and Loponen each had two points for Finland. Each team finished with two power-play goals.

This is the first-ever win for Hungary over Finland at the WW18 level. When the two sides met twice in the 2013 tournament, the host Finns won both matchups, 4-0 and 3-1.

 

 

 

 

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"We have a really good team and we fought hard," said Hungarian coach Zoltan Fodor. "We wanted to win every single shift and we did that for 60 minutes. They're a great group of players and really intelligent. We had a plan and we knew how we wanted to play.

"This is a really good message because everybody who follows women's hockey back home will be excited," Fodor added. "This win is very important for our program. We have shown that all the effort is worth it."