Finland Stuns US in Thrilling World Junior Ice Hockey Match
In a stunning upset, Finland defeated two-time defending champions the United States 4-3 in overtime on Friday night, marking their first win against the Americans in the tournament. The Finns had previously suffered a heartbreaking loss to the US in last year's final.
Captain Aron Kiviharju praised the US team, acknowledging that they are "a hell of a team" with great individuals and good coaching. However, he also expressed his desire for revenge from their previous loss, which Finland has now achieved.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Finland taking an early lead through goals from Lee Tuuva and Joona Saarelainen in the third period. However, the US equalized through Cole Hutson's goal midway through the frame. The Finns regained the lead with another Tuuva goal, but Hutson tied it again at 2-2.
In a thrilling finish, Arttu Välilä scored the winning goal at 2:11 of overtime to seal Finland's victory. Välilä was mobbed by his teammates in celebration, as they secured their first win against the US in the tournament.
The Finns' success comes after Sweden beat Latvia 6-3 and Canada routed Slovakia 7-1. Czechia also claimed a convincing 6-2 victory over Switzerland. The teams will now proceed to the semi-finals, where Finland will face Sweden on Sunday.
For the US, despite losing their last two games after an initial three-win streak, coach Bob Motzko was proud of his team's performance. However, he conceded that it was "an empty feeling" for his players after coming so close to victory.
In a stunning upset, Finland defeated two-time defending champions the United States 4-3 in overtime on Friday night, marking their first win against the Americans in the tournament. The Finns had previously suffered a heartbreaking loss to the US in last year's final.
Captain Aron Kiviharju praised the US team, acknowledging that they are "a hell of a team" with great individuals and good coaching. However, he also expressed his desire for revenge from their previous loss, which Finland has now achieved.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Finland taking an early lead through goals from Lee Tuuva and Joona Saarelainen in the third period. However, the US equalized through Cole Hutson's goal midway through the frame. The Finns regained the lead with another Tuuva goal, but Hutson tied it again at 2-2.
In a thrilling finish, Arttu Välilä scored the winning goal at 2:11 of overtime to seal Finland's victory. Välilä was mobbed by his teammates in celebration, as they secured their first win against the US in the tournament.
The Finns' success comes after Sweden beat Latvia 6-3 and Canada routed Slovakia 7-1. Czechia also claimed a convincing 6-2 victory over Switzerland. The teams will now proceed to the semi-finals, where Finland will face Sweden on Sunday.
For the US, despite losing their last two games after an initial three-win streak, coach Bob Motzko was proud of his team's performance. However, he conceded that it was "an empty feeling" for his players after coming so close to victory.
what a match!!! i'm loving the Finns' underdog vibes! they totally deserved that win 
and Arttu Välilä's overtime goal was SICK 
that US team is still fire, but Finland showed they can hang with the big boys 
maybe this is the start of something special for them? 
lee tuuva is a beast on the ice and arttu välilä's winning goal at 2:11 of overtime was pure perfection 
that finish was so intense i don't know how they didn't fall apart after tying it up again. finland's first win against the US is huge and i'm loving their momentum now 
czechia beating switzerland looks like a solid move though 
️ Arttu Välilä is literally a superstar 
the Finns played so well together and their teamwork was amazing 
I'm loving this tournament already 
the US might have lost but they still gave it their all and that's what matters 
! I mean, the US is still gonna crush Finland in the semis though 
don't get too excited Finns 
but seriously congrats to them on their first win against the Yanks? that's gotta be sweet for those Finnish fans 
gotta respect the US team though, they've been on fire all tournament 
️ but I guess revenge is a dish best served cold 
Arttu Välilä's winning goal tho 
can't wait for the semis! 
[Image of a person reaching for a star with a disappointed expression]
But I'm lovin' it! 
and the way finland came back from being down 2-1 was just incredible 
it's gonna be a crazy semi-finals with sweden waiting for them on sunday