Norway vs Slovenia

The second period belonged entirely to one man. Jacob Berglund produced a spellbinding performance, netting three consecutive goals to put the game beyond Slovenia's reach and etch his name into Norwegian hockey history.

Berglund struck for the first time at 24:42, finishing off a play set up by Tinus Luc Koblar and Stian Solberg to double Norway's lead. Just four minutes later, at 28:42, he struck again — this time Havard Haukeland providing the assist — and the Norwegian bench erupted as their sharpshooter made it 3-0.

Berglund completed his hat-trick at 35:42, with Johannes Johannesen turning provider. The three goals came in a span of just over 11 minutes, a natural hat-trick that left the Slovenian defence shell-shocked and the Norwegian fans in full voice.

According to IIHF records, Berglund's natural hat-trick was the first of its kind for Norway at the World Championship in 77 years — a piece of trivia that underscores the magnitude of his achievement.

With a three-goal cushion entering the final frame, Norway managed the game expertly. Slovenia came out with renewed energy, attempting to mount a comeback, but the Norwegian defence, marshalled superbly in front of a reliable goaltender, refused to yield.

The third period saw a number of penalties — Luka Maver was called for roughing at 44:51, Kristian Ostby for roughing at the same time, Jan Sodja for high sticking at 48:29, and Tadej Koblar for interference at 51:44 — but again, neither side could convert with the man advantage.

Slovenia pulled their goaltender late in desperation, but Norway held firm to secure the 4-0 shutout victory.

The win was a significant one for Norway in the context of the Group B standings. Coming into the match, Norway had shown flashes of quality — a narrow 6-5 overtime loss to Canada and a 6-0 demolition of Italy — and this comprehensive victory over Slovenia demonstrated their growing confidence on the international stage.

Slovenia, by contrast, had lost 3-1 to Canada earlier in the tournament and found themselves in a precarious position. The defeat to Norway, their sixth consecutive loss in head-to-head meetings, left them needing results elsewhere to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

Norway's dominance over Slovenia continued with this result. The two nations have now met 10 times across all competitions, with Norway winning eight of those encounters. Norway are unbeaten in the last seven meetings stretching back to 2015, underscoring their superiority in this particular rivalry.

The 4-0 scoreline was also notable for being Norway's biggest win over Slovenia since a 7-4 victory in the 2022 Olympic qualification tournament.

For Berglund, the hat-trick was undoubtedly the highlight of his international career. The forward's three-goal explosion in the second period will be remembered as one of the standout individual performances of the 2026 World Championship.

Norway will look to build on this momentum as the preliminary round continues, with tougher tests ahead against fellow Group B contenders. For Slovenia, the focus must shift to regrouping and finding a way to unlock opposing defences after being blanked for the first time in the tournament.

One thing is certain: Jacob Berglund's name will be on the lips of Norwegian hockey fans for a long time after this special night in Fribourg.