Schafer’s breakaway goal the difference

Maxim Schafer was the overtime hero as he scored on a breakaway 3:16 into the extra frame to give Germany a 4-3 win over Czechia on Thursday at the 2025 IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship.

The game was Germany’s 100^th all-time at the World U18s and will be one of its most memorable.

Schafer used a slick forehand to backhand move and raised the puck over an outstretched Tobias Trejbal in the Czechia net. The game was a back-and-forth affair that saw four lead changes.

Czechia carried the majority of the play, outshooting Germany 39-27 through three periods. But the Germans had both shots in overtime, including Schafer’s goal.

Czechia’s second loss at U18s may have hurt more than the first, despite getting a point for the OT loss.

One day after coughing up a 2-1 lead and eventually losing 4-2 to Team USA, Czechia controlled most of the game on Thursday against Germany but had a tough time solving Germany goaltender Lukas Stuhrmann.

Germany opened the scoring just over five minutes into the first period. Elias Schneider found a wide-open Schafer in front of the Czechia net and Schafer tucked the puck in with his backhand to beat Trejbal. David Lewandowski picked up the other assist.

Czechia tied it up at 9:31 of the first as Adam Novotny tipped in a pass from Adam Benak, who was added to the Czechia roster today after he and the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms were bounced from the Clark Cup playoffs. The goal was reviewed for a potential offside but the call on the ice stood and the game was tied 1-1. Tomas Malinek, who started the play with a quick up pass from his zone, also got a helper.

Czechia took the lead at 16:03 of the first on a 5-on-3 powerplay. Notvotny passed the puck to Benak down low, who then made a perfect cross-seam pass to Vit Zahejsky who one-timed the puck in to give the Czechs a 2-1 lead.

Mateu Mariscal Spath tied the game 2:40 into the second on a quick shot that beat Trejbal on his glove side, with Max Ziergiebel getting the assist.

The Germans then jumped ahead when Max Penkin scored a shorthanded goal on another shot that beat the Czech goalie high glove side. Penkin is a 2009-born player, meaning he’s a double-underager at this event and won’t be eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until 2027. Ziergiebel got his second point of the game on Penkin’s goal.

Benak had another brilliant assist at 12:47 when he made a no-look pass to captain Tomas Poletin on the powerplay. Benak passed the puck right on the tape…