Debut wins, placing battles and qualification drama mark Day 6
Day six of the Asia-Oceania Floorball Confederation (AOFC) Qualification for the Men’s World Floorball Championships 2026 delivered decisive placing matches and high-stakes qualification clashes at Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Wellington, as teams fought for final standings and coveted World Championship spots.
Solomon Islands def. Hong Kong 8–1
10:00am NZT
The ninth-place playoff brought together two nations making their AOFC debut at the 2026 qualifiers, with both the Solomon Islands and Hong Kong searching for their first tournament victory.
After a scoreless opening half of the first period, Hong Kong struck first at 11:29 to take a 1–0 lead. The teams then traded penalties, and the Solomon Islands made the most of their power play, equalising at 15:27 to send the match to the first break level at 1–1.
The second period remained tightly contested early, before the Solomons took a 2–1 lead at 3:16. Discipline again proved costly for Hong Kong late in the frame, as the Solomon Islands converted on the power play with just 34 seconds remaining to extend their advantage to 4–1.
The third period belonged firmly to the Solomon Islands, who scored twice before the midway point to build a commanding 6–1 lead. Hong Kong gambled by pulling their goalkeeper for an extra attacker with seven minutes remaining, but the Solomons capitalised with an empty-net goal at 13:12, before adding another power play strike with two minutes to play.
The result sealed a well-deserved 8–1 victory for the Solomon Islands and their first AOFC tournament win.
Photo credit: Hamish Black
Korea def. China 6–3
1:00pm NZT
The seventh-place playoff between Korea and China delivered an entertaining contest, with both sides eager to finish their tournament campaigns on a positive note.
China opened the scoring early at 3:34 of the first period, but Korea responded just 16 seconds later to level the match at 1–1, a scoreline that held through to the first break.
The second period remained goalless until midway through the frame, when Korea struck twice within 14 seconds in the ninth minute to take control and open up a 3–1 lead.
Korea extended their advantage early in the third period, making it 4–1 at 8:44. China looked to mount a comeback on the power play at 13:09, but Korea instead struck shorthanded to stretch the lead to 5–1.
China showed impressive resilience, earning two penalty shots within a minute, both calmly converted by #77 to narrow the margin to 5–3. However, Korea responded once more on the power play with less than three minutes remaining to restore a three-goal cushion.
Despite a late push from China, Korea closed out a deserved 6–3 victory to claim seventh place.
Photo credit: Graeme Stewart
Philippines def. Australia 9–6
4:00pm NZT
The first of the two crucial qualification matches saw the explosive offence of the Philippines take on the physicality and determination of Australia, with a World Championship berth on the line.
After six scoreless minutes, the Philippines opened the scoring at 6:11 through #40 Kim Varga, assisted by #24 Melvin Mendoza. The familiar combination continued to torment the Australian defence, with two more goals before the halfway mark of the period giving Varga a hat-trick just ten minutes into the match and a 3–0 Philippines lead.
Australia responded with sustained pressure and were rewarded with a penalty shot goal with just three seconds remaining in the period, cutting the deficit to 3–1.
The Philippines restored their three-goal cushion six minutes into the second period with another Varga–Mendoza connection, before Australia struck late to make it 4–2 at the second break.
The third period continued the same storyline, with Varga scoring again at 5:14 before the Philippines added two more to surge ahead 7–2. Australia found renewed energy, pulling one back at 10:09, only for Varga to respond with an unassisted breakaway goal less than a minute later to make it 8–3.
After a timeout, Australia mounted a spirited comeback, scoring twice in under a minute to close the gap to 8–5. Once again, Varga and Mendoza combined, restoring a four-goal margin at 9–5 with seven minutes remaining. Australia added one more shortly after, but despite a furious late push, they could not bridge the gap.
The 9–6 victory secured the Philippines a coveted qualification spot at the 2026 Men’s World Floorball Championships.
Photo credit: Graeme Stewart
Japan def. New Zealand 7–3
7:00pm NZT
Hosts New Zealand entered their qualification match against tournament favourites Japan full of belief, following a dramatic last-second draw against the Philippines the previous evening.
The Kiwis started strongly in front of a packed home crowd, but were unable to find a breakthrough, including during an early power play. Japan struck first at 14:31, and doubled their lead at 16:02 on a controversial power play following a delay-of-game call.
New Zealand responded early in the second period, scoring less than a minute in on the power play to reignite the crowd. Japan answered midway through the period with a power play goal of their own, before adding another at 17:36 to take a 4–1 lead.
After Japan were penalised for delay of game, New Zealand youngster #39 Vinnie Coup thrilled the home supporters with a superb finish off a feed from #21 Matthew Bertschinger. Momentum continued to build when #99 Kester Law converted a two-on-one chance at 7:02, assisted by Coup, narrowing the score to 4–3.
Japan halted the comeback just after the midway point of the period, scoring to make it 5–3, then capitalising on another power play at 13:23 to extend the lead to 6–3. A final goal at 16:10 sealed the contest.
New Zealand battled to the final whistle, but Japan’s composure proved decisive, with the 7–3 win earning them a deserved qualification place at the 2026 Men’s World Floorball Championships.
Photo credit: Graeme Stewart
