01/05/26 12:23:00
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01/05 00:21 CST Czechia beats Canada 6-4 in world junior hockey to set up
all-European final with Sweden
Czechia beats Canada 6-4 in world junior hockey to set up all-European final
with Sweden
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) --- Tomas Poletin scored on a deflection off his skate
with 1:14 left and Czechia beat Canada 6-4 on Sunday night to advance to face
Sweden in the first all-European world junior hockey final since 2016.
Earlier, Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden
a 4-3 victory over Finland. The final is Monday night.
In the last all-European final, Finland beat Russia 4-3 in overtime in Helsinki
in 2016. Czechia and Sweden are each trying to win their third title. Czechia
won in 2000 and 2001, and Sweden in 1981 and 2012.
Poletin scored 1:27 after Porter Martone tied it for 20-time champion Canada.
Czechia eliminated Canada for the third straight year. The Czechs beat the
Canadians in the quarterfinals the previous two years.
"Obviously we wanted this win, because you heard them in the media," said
Vaclav Nestrasil, a Chicago first-rounder who play at the University of
Massachusetts. "They were chirping. ... We wanted to keep their ego down, and
we did that. I think we were better."
Vojtech Cihar scored twice for Czechia, and Maxmilian Curran, Adam Titlbach and
Adam Benak also scored. Michal Orsulak made 20 saves.
Tij Iginla, Zayne Parekh and Cole Reschny added goals for Canada, and Jack
Ivankovic stopped 31 shots.
"That group in there, I'm so proud of them," said Martone, Canada's captain.
"They fought to the very end, and they left it all out there. So that's all I
can say. It's definitely a tough loss."
Canada's Michael Hage failed on a penalty shot with 1:56 left in second period
after getting a second chance when Orsulak tripped him on the first try. The
University of Michigan player --- who earlier fired three shots off posts ---
tried the same move and lost control as he tried to move the puck to the right.
Sweden avenged a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland in the semifinals last year in
Ottawa, Ontario.
Frondell --- drafted third overall by Chicago last summer --- put a wrist shot
through Petteri Rimpinen's pads after failing on his first two attempts in the
tiebreaker. His first attempt hit both posts.
"I blacked out," Frondell said. "It was an amazing feeling ... happy the last
one went in."
Sweden survived a power play in the 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime after Viggo
Bjork --- who missed on three OT breakaways --- was called for slashing with
2:03 left.
"This game, it was crazy, long game, tight, overtime, everything. Just one goal
and then it's over," Frondell said. "You love to play those games."
Linus Eriksson, Ivar Stenberg and Eddie Genborg scored for Sweden in
regulation, and Love Harenstam stopped 33 shots. Atte Joki, Japser Kuhta and
and Joona Saarelainen countered for Finland. Rimpinen made 29 saves.
Saarelainen tied it at 3 from close range with 5:59 left in the third.
Finland and Canada will meet in the third-place game.
On Friday night in the quarterfinals, Finland beat the two-time defending
champion United States 4-3 in overtime.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
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