The Whites and Reds were the first to secure their promotion to the world’s top flight on 5 May after winning Friday’s opener against Romania 6-2. The second team to earn a bye into the top group was only selected by the tournament’s final duel between Great Britain and Italy.

In the last match of the tournament, the Poles played in the following team: Poland: Maciej Miarka – Maciej Kruczek, Patryk Wajda, Patryk Wronka, Grzegorz Pasiut, Bartosz Fraszko – Marcin Kolusz, Bartosz Ciura, Bartłomiej Jeziorski, Krystian Dziubiński, Alan Łyszczarczyk – Paweł Dronia, Arkadiusz Kostek, Dominik Paś, Kamil Wałęga, Paweł Zygmunt – Kamil Górny, Oskar Jaśkiewicz, Mateusz Michalski, Filip Starzyński, Radoslaw Galant.

The whites and reds started this game without main goalkeeper John Murray, who suffered a groin injury during the morning break. He was replaced by Maciej Miarka. The 22-year-old has played five times for the national team so far, and last season he was Murray’s understudy at GKS Katowice.
Maciej Miarka is a 22-year-old student of Lodz Hockey Club. Before transferring to GKS Katowice, he trained at the Retkinia ice rink in Łódź, played at Bombonierka at ul. Stefanowskie.
According to publisher Wojciech Filipiak, the last hockey player brought up in Łódź who played for the national team 26 years ago was Piotr Zdunek. He finished his representative career on April 21, 1997 with a match against Denmark in Katowice, won by Poland 5:2. It was the player’s 84th appearance in 1985-97. On this occasion, it is impossible not to mention Maciej Miarka’s great predecessor – ŁKS goalkeeper Walery Kosyl, who played 138 matches in national colors in the years 1965-76.
The last international game in Łódź was a memorable meeting with Canada in 1987, so 35 years ago. Poland lost 2:3 – Zdunek also played in this game, and one of the goals was scored by another hockey giant, Jan Stopczyk, a student of Boruta Zgierz and then ŁKS star for many years. Maciej Miarka has someone to follow – wrote editor Wojciech Filipiak!

On the website https://planetofhockey.com/ there is an extremely interesting interview with Maciej Miarka
Here are some excerpts:
How did your hockey adventure begin?
– My adventure with hockey started when I was 6-7 years old. My neighbor was an Olympian, an outstanding goalkeeper, Walery Kosyl. He trained children of my age in ŁKH. My dad’s friend found out and persuaded him to take me to the first practice.
Does anyone in your family play sports?
– My uncle was Polish football champion with ŁKS in 1958.
What is your biggest sporting dream?
– Win the Stanley Cup.