Arttu Valola’s overtime goal at 2:11 led Finland to a 4-3 victory over the two-time defending champion United States in the world junior hockey quarterfinals in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Finnish team sought revenge after last year’s defeat in the final to the Americans.
Finnish captain Aron Kiviharju praised the U.S. team’s skill and coaching but expressed satisfaction in securing the win to avenge their previous loss. Finland will now face Sweden in the semifinals, while Canada will play against the Czech Republic. Sweden defeated Latvia 6-3, Canada dominated Slovakia with a 7-1 victory, and the Czech Republic defeated Switzerland 6-2.
Lee Ryker of Michigan State scored the tying goal for the United States with 1:33 remaining in regulation. Finnish players Lee Tuuva and Joona Saarelainen scored crucial goals in the third period, leading to Finland’s eventual victory. Despite a strong performance, U.S. defenseman Cole Hutson acknowledged that Finland capitalized on their mistakes to secure the win.
The United States suffered back-to-back losses, including a 6-3 defeat to Sweden in their previous game. Coach Bob Motzko praised his team’s effort despite the loss and credited Finland for their strong performance. In other games, Sweden defeated Latvia with Anton Frondell scoring twice, and the Czech Republic secured a 6-2 victory over Switzerland.
Germany emerged victorious in the relegation game against Denmark, winning 8-4 to maintain their spot in the main event next year, while Denmark dropped to Division I-A.