By: Nicole Parallag
The Philippines suffered a heavy 1–11 loss to 10-time world champion Sweden in the men’s floorball competition at the 2025 World Games group stage on Saturday at the Xindu Xiangcheng Sports Centre in Chengdu, China.
Despite the lopsided score, the Filipinos delivered a spirited defensive stand in the opening period. They limited the powerhouse Swedes to just two goals — one an unfortunate own goal by Simon Sicat-Lorano, and the other a strike from Hampus Nydenfeldt.
In the 18th minute, team captain Lucas Perez gave the Nationals a moment to remember.
After Mattiece Cortez was tripped by Sweden’s Oskar Weissbach, the Philippines was awarded a penalty shot.
Perez calmly slotted the ball into the net, becoming the first-ever Filipino to score against Sweden in international floorball — a historic milestone on his 50th cap for the national team since debuting at the 29th SEA Games in Manila.
“Normally, others take our team’s penalty shots, but since Lucas celebrated his 50th game today, it felt right for our captain to take it. Fantastic that he also got to score against the world’s best goalkeeper,” head coach Noel Alm Johansson said of the proud moment.
After the break, Sweden broke loose from the Philippines’ early resistance, piling on nine unanswered goals across the second and third periods.
Sakarias Ulriksson and Oskar Huvland scored two goals apiece, while Oskar Lundmark orchestrated the offense with four assists.
One came on a power play with Filip Eriksson, which extended Sweden’s lead to 8–1 early in the third period.
Filipino goalkeeper Patrick Lemoran stood tall amid the relentless Swedish attack, producing several key saves—including a highlight-reel denial of Lundmark’s breakaway in the third frame.
“We knew it would be tough, but we executed our game plan well for most of the match. When fatigue set in, the game slipped away a bit — but our puso never faltered,” said the 24-year-old Lemoran, who posted a 68.00% save percentage in his World Games debut.
“It always feels great to rob someone of a goal they think they already had. Those big, timely saves are what make being a goalie so much fun—you have to love the big moments.”
Lundmark capped Sweden’s dominant performance by setting up Linus Holmgren for a buzzer-beating goal, sealing their second consecutive group-stage victory after an 8–1 rout of Switzerland.
Sweden now sits atop Group A, while the Philippines turns its attention to another formidable challenge — world No. 5 Switzerland — on Sunday at 3:00 PM, as they chase their first win of the tournament.
