Australia escape relegation with win over Israel

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Australia will return to Division 2A of the IIHF World Championships in 2026 after staving off a late charge from Israel to win 4-3 on Tuesday morning, officially avoiding relegation. All eyes were dialled in on what looked to be a classic, the loser to be sent down to Division 2B in 2026.

Australia required a win in regulation to knock Israel out, with Israel having beaten the UAE 3-2 in their third game of the tournament. With IIHF standings tiebreakers decided by head-to-head results, Australia’s goal was simple; win in 60 minutes, no matter by how much.

Israel and Australia have had a fiercely competitive recent history, with last year’s clash in the IIHF World Championships going the way of Israel in an overtime thriller. It set the stage for what could be the game of the tournament, despite their records. And it delivered.

Australia came out the gates strong, drawing the first two penalties of the game. While the man advantage couldn’t capitalise, the extended puck possession gave Australia plenty of opportunity to wear down the Israeli defence. Eventually it would be Maxim Lyashenko who broke through for Australia, scoring his first goal in the green and gold at the IIHF tournament.

Australia’s special teams would make a big impact just four minutes later, however, scoring while playing 4-on-4 in the final minute of the first period. It was Perth’s Kieren Webster combining with Newcastle Northstar Casey Kubara that gave the Mighty Roos some breathing room entering the first intermission.

The second period featured much of the same sustained offensive zone pressure from the Aussies and while they were ultimately outshot 12-8 for the period, they won in the only place that matters. It took Australia a couple of games, but this final match truly showcased the strength of their powerplay. The second unit would combine this time around to put Australia well ahead at 3-0 three minutes in, Kieren Webster potting his second for the match at the goalie’s doorstep off an excellent set up from Beau Taylor and Zach Boyle.



The game seemed to be all but over 40 seconds into the final third, with young Adelaide forward Daniel Chen potting his first of the tournament to increase the margin to a potentially insurmountable four goals. Israel had other ideas, however, finding some confidence in their O-Zone cycle and scoring just a minute later through Ori Segal.

Up until this point Israel were unable to capitalise on their slot chances, Perth’s Aleksi Toivonen manning the crease brilliantly all game for Australia, but the first goal opened the flood gates. After a tripping penalty on Beau Taylor, Israel benefited from their powerplay, the slick passing of OHL star Michael Levin feeding Daniel Mazour to reduce the deficit to 4-2. The pressure mounted on Australia, unable to get the quality offensive zone entries they made use of in the first 40 minutes, which led to just six shots taken in the final third. Israel, however, took 16 with ten being either at the goalie’s crease or between the dots.

Ultimately, Israel wore the Roos' defence down and scored again with five minutes remaining, with Polozov scoring off another feed from the 19-year-old phenom Levin. The tension could be cut with a knife as the fight against relegation came down to the dying stages, but Israel had left it too late. Australia killed time brilliantly, ensuring Israel couldn’t pull their goalie until under a minute remaining and held on for the crucial regulation victory.



"We had an opportunity for redemption and we capitalised. Our goaltending was fantastic; we dug in and battled together. I'm proud and honoured to wear the green and gold," defenceman Bert Malloy said.

"We're really happy for Hawesy (Ethan Hawes), our man of the tournament, very well deserved. Our leadership group was the tip of the spear."

"After some close games I’m proud of the team with how we came together in the last game. It went right to the end & everyone battled to stay in the division," defenceman Brian Funes said.

"Although we came into the tourney hoping to come back with a medal, we’re still happy that we got to stay in Division 2A. There’s no better feeling in the world than singing the anthem although with your brothers."

"I'm personally happy with my performance, but even happier for all the rookies that stepped up and played their hearts out."

Australia end the tournament 5^th in the standings and live to see another year in Division 2A, with Israel relegated to Division 2B for 2026 with their 6^th placed finish. Elsewhere in the division, Serbia’s 2^nd place heartbreak at home was repeated, losing in the final game of the tournament to the eventual champions for the second consecutive year. This time around it was to the Netherlands, who now have achieved an impressive bounce back into Division 1B after being relegated in 2024.