Women’s hockey in Poland has grown incredibly quick over the last decade, especially over the past few years. This has always made the U18 World Championships exciting as we see what is next for the national team. The 2025 U18s carried a little more hype as the two players considered generation prospects for the country would be debuting in Justyna Koszyk and Malgorzata Zakrzewska. They were not the only young players to make their IIHF debuts, as Poland brought ten players born in 2010 to this tournament. But would all the young talent be enough to push Poland over the edge in front of a friendly crowd in Katowice? 

Jantor Arena in Katowice, Poland, hosted the D1B U18s tournament from January 7th to the 13th. Poland kicked off the tournament with a familiar opponent in South Korea. Poland would quickly take control of this and cruise to a 4-1 victory. This was despite a strong performance by Jeong Yeon Bae, who stopped 45 shots. 

Next up was the first significant test as Poland was up against China. China was promoted from Division 2 Group A last year. This was not a regular newcomer as China had won bronze in D1B in 2020, but after temporarily withdrawing from competition for a couple of years, they returned and were placed in D2A for 2024. They dominated division two, sweeping their opponents and outscoring them 48 to 3. However, as in game one, Poland showed its offensive ability early and often. Poland would pick up a 4-2 win despite a strong comeback effort by China. 

Poland continued in the gauntlet, this time against Spain. Spain had beaten Poland 5-1 the previous year. This game showed me how special this group was, as they just kept getting better as the game went on. They would pick up their third victory and clinch a medal with a 6-2 final. When it mattered most for Spain in the third, Poland led in shots 21 to 6. 

This set up a de facto gold medal game versus Denmark on day four. Denmark was new to the group after being relegated from Division 1 Group A in 2024. This was a rough match-up for Poland on paper. A larger and more experienced team Denmark, vs. the young team Poland, the second-smallest squad in the tournament  Poland. In the end, Denmark would eventually wear Poland down to take over and win 5-0. We’ll have more on this game later in the article, but the effort Poland displayed is something to be proud of and showed their ceiling is much higher than D1B. 

With the loss to Denmark, Poland was playing for the silver medal against a fifth-place Australian team. The first period was the first time all tournament that the team was suppressing Poland from getting shots on net. That wouldn’t last though as Malgorzata Zakrzewska would score four goals, including a natural hattrick to lead Poland to a 5-2 win. With the win, Poland landed the silver medal, their fourth straight medal, and third silver during the span. 

Confidence on Offense

The future is bright for Poland. This was one of the best offensive performances I have seen from the national team on any level. They were confident about charging into the offensive zone and attacking the front of the net. It felt like Poland was rolling their lines, with the top three being dangerous threats to score any shift. There were some poor shot choices and missed opportunities, but it was understandable with how young this team is. Props to Magdalena Jabłońska and her staff for the offensive game plans and how the powerplay operated.

The Zakrzewska Era is Here

All the hype was on Zakrzewska going into this tournament. Before she even started in the TLHK, she was labeled the female Mariusz Czerkawski. She was worth the hype and more. It was the best I have seen a Polish player look in comparison to their opponents. She belongs at a higher level of hockey. Zakrzewska finished with 51 shots on goal in this tournament, while South Korea as a team had 74. The 14-year-old finished with seven goals and five assists in five games and was named the best player on team Poland. Her 12 points in her first tournament already placed her top five in all-time Poland U18 scoring. Her 7 goals are tied for third all-time for a single D1B tournament, while her 12 points are fourth all-time for a single tournament. Her skating, puck skills, and shot were all elite for a junior player; she is still only 14. I feel bad for the countries facing her over the next four years as she continues to develop. 

The Next Brick Wall

Koszyk was receiving plenty of hype coming into this tournament as well. The young goalie had posted a shutout win in the EWHL while playing lights out back in Poland. This is a tournament where the stats won’t show the correct picture, as she finished with a .893 SV% starting all five games for Poland. She wasn’t tested in most games, as Poland didn’t allow their opponents much time with the puck. Koszyk made some fantastic saves and showed she is the future in goal. 

The Denmark Game 

China and Spain were great tests for the young Polish team. It showed the ceiling of their abilities was super high. Denmark was a juggernaut on another level. Their squad this year featured 11 players playing in Sweden’s second level of senior hockey, one in the top level of Sweden, and another two in the top Canadian junior leagues. They had way more experience and were bigger size-wise. If Poland had been blown out 10-0 in this game, I would still have walked away from this tournament positively. For the first 47 minutes of this game, Poland played their heart out and looked like the better team at times. Credit goes to Danish goalie Anja Poulsen, who made highlight-reel saves in this game. Poulsen also didn’t allow a single goal all tournament. Poland had plenty of great chances, and they were finding ways to get the puck into high-danger areas. They got some bad penalty luck and were exhausted towards the end as Denmark scored three in the game’s final 12 minutes. This game convinced me that over the next couple of years, Poland will win gold and promotion regardless of who is in D1B.  

What’s Next? 

We ask the question at the end of each tournament: what is next? Poland will still be in D1B. Austria is the team that will be relegated from Division 1 Group A. They will undoubtedly be a challenge with a veteran squad, plenty of whom compete in the EWHL. We will have to wait and see which team will replace South Korea, which was relegated, as the Division 2 Group A tournament starts on January 20th. 

Poland is not projected to lose too many players, as only five players will age off, but there are key names among them. Jadwiga Jankowska and Weronika Huchel are done after playing the top nine offensive roles. Huchel had a goal and an assist on 22 shots. The defense is losing a big chunk of its core, with Milena Piasecka and Nikola Isztok finishing their U18 careers. Both played top four roles for the club and were veterans of the team. Three of Poland’s defensemen were among the 2010s at the tournament for Poland, while Natalia Wanczuk also has a year of eligibility remaining. Nadia Sibik and Oliwia Wroniecka are two defenders I could see join the squad next year. 

Overall, the losses are minimal by junior IIHF standards. You often lose a lot of your team year to year. Poland is returning four of its top five scorers and its starting goalie. Austria will be challenging, but I see gold in Poland U18’s future if players progress. 

Quick Thoughts 

• Karolina Gawandtka was another standout among the 2010 class. She finished with five goals on 22 shots. 
• Matylda Stepien is developing well as a player in Canada. At this tournament, she looked like a complete player and was a key contributor to her younger linemates’ offensive success. 
• Emilia Stankiewicz also caught my eye. The 2010 from the Lodz program had only one goal but was a fluid skater. 
• Cybulska had a great tournament, putting up six assists. Her six assists are tied for the third most all-time in a D1B tournament. 
• Credit to the PZHL for streaming all these games for free on YouTube and hosting a great tournament. So many other countries don’t put in the same effort as the PZHL when it comes to being a great IIHF host. Making these widely available is how you grow the game.

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Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu