The World Cup for under-20s saw entertaining puck.
Hugo Hävelid (left) was the best of the match. EPA / AOP
Sweden took a big win when they defeated Canada 2-0 in a packed Scandinavium hall. At the same time, Sweden issued a storm warning to the Young Lions.
The figure of the high-quality and multifaceted match was Sweden’s goalkeeper Hugo Hävelid, who made 21 saves in front of his clean sheet. Also Canadian Guard Mathis Rousseau made several big saves.
The intensity of the match was very high and the level of demand of the game was dead.
Both teams had their own goals in the opening set. Canada’s best goal position was blessed To Carson Rehkopfwho got through, but Hävelid pulled a longer shot.
Sweden’s best place came in the final stages of the set, when Liam Ohgren was completely free to try twice to score from the corner of the goal. However, Rousseau rejected both attempts.
Sweden finally managed to score in the second set.
Right in the first minutes of the set Tom Willander shot the puck accurately into Canada’s goal. Midway through the set Noah Östlund pounded the puck from the edge of the goal into the gaping Canadian goal.
Canada frantically tried to score a narrow goal in the final set, but Sweden survived the pressure under the leadership of Hävelid. Sweden got to celebrate a big victory in front of 11,512 spectators.
Sweden showed where the level of requirements is at the moment in the World Cup. Finland has not been close to the corresponding level of play, so the Sunday battle between the teams will be interesting.
At the same time, Sweden secured the top spot in Group A.
The United States was about to collapse
USA struggled against the Czech Republic. The USA was able to take the victory only after the winning goal race with a score of 4–3.
Finished the solution Isaac Howard.
Howard opened the scoring in the match when he finished off the USA’s 1–0 lead in the opening period. However, the Czech Republic leveled up when Filip Stancl succeeded in scoring.
Played for Pelicans in the SM league this season Adam Bareš took the Czech Republic to a 2–1 lead in the second set. Will Smith brought the United States to levels but Robin Sapoušek gave the Czech Republic the lead again when he scored for a 3–2 lead midway through the period.
However, the USA did not give up. A few minutes Sapoušek too from hitting and Ryan Chesley succeeded in scoring and leveled the match at 3–3.
In the end, the match went all the way to the winning goal contest, where the United States lost the goals Gabe Perreault and Howard. Jiří Kulich scored the only goal for the Czech Republic.