Unia Oswiecim vs Katowice

Unia struck first with 19 minutes gone in the opening period. Jan Sołtys finished off a well-worked move involving Damian Tyczyński and Jarosław Lewandowski, sending the home side into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

The momentum flipped inside the first minute of the second period. Joona Monto levelled on the power play at 21:43, and Katowice added two strikes within 37 seconds just past the midway point — Patryk Wronka at 28:11 and Bartosz Bremer at 28:48, assisted by Bartosz Fraszko and Erik Cap — to make it 3-1.

Unia responded with a power-play goal of their own at 33:47. Lewandowski beat Katowice goaltender Michał Kieler with help from Kalle Valtola and Olli Nieminen to cut the gap to 3-2 heading into the final period.

The third period was tightly contested until Patryk Krężołek sealed the visitors' win with an empty-net goal at 59:13, making the final score 4-2.

Katowice's three-goal burst across the first eight minutes of the second period changed the entire complexion of the game. Unia had controlled the first period with discipline and structure, but Monto's power-play strike just 43 seconds into the middle frame exposed cracks that Katowice exploited ruthlessly. The two goals in 37 seconds from Wronka and Bremer turned a 1-1 game into a 3-1 lead, and Unia never fully recovered.

Bartosz Bremer (Katowice) — The forward scored what proved to be the game-winner at 28:48 and was a constant threat in the offensive zone throughout the second-period surge.

Jarosław Lewandowski (Unia Oswiecim) — A goal and an assist for the Unia captain, whose power-play strike at 33:47 briefly revived the home side's hopes. He was the most dangerous forward on his team, finishing as Unia's only multi-point player.

Joona Monto (Katowice) — Opened Katowice's account with a well-timed power-play goal early in the second period, setting the tone for the visitors' comeback.

Michał Kieler (Katowice) — The Katowice netminder held firm after the early goal against, facing down Unia's power play in the second period and keeping his side ahead through a tense third period until Krężołek's empty-netter.

Player of the match: Bartosz Bremer

The period scores — 1-0, 1-3, 0-1 — tell the story of a game split in two. Unia owned the opening 20 minutes, outworking Katowice and converting through Sołtys. But the second period was Katowice's: three goals in quick succession while Unia managed only Lewandowski's power-play reply. Both sides scored one power-play goal from one opportunity apiece, suggesting special teams were sharp despite the early stage of pre-season. The third period was scoreless until Krężołek's empty-netter at 59:13, with both teams tightening up defensively as fatigue set in during their first competitive ice time of the summer.

This was the first pre-season friendly for both sides ahead of the 2026/27 TAURON Hokej Liga season. Katowice — defending Polish champions — demonstrated their depth with goals from four different scorers and controlled the middle period decisively. Unia, under new Finnish head coach Markus Juurikkala (formerly of TPS Turku), showed promise in the first period and matched up well territorially, but defensive lapses in the second period proved costly. The two sides meet again in Katowice on 15 August for a second friendly.

A predictable pre-season pattern: both sides felt each other out in the first period, Katowice flipped a switch in the second, and Unia ran out of steam. The champions showed their bench depth and ruthlessness; Unia have systems to sharpen under Juurikkala before the league campaign begins.