Finland 4, Sweden 3 ~ Jan. 3 /RELEGATION
Finns earn 5th place with the win
January 3, 2005
Ralphsworld
by Andrew Oberle
Finland comes back again to defeat rival Sweden; win 4-3 in OT
Janne Kolehmainen picked a good time for his first goal of the World Junior Championships. His goal beat Sweden and secured a fifth place finish for Finland. Scoring 1:37 into overtime, Kolehmainen got a quick shot off after a Swedish turnover and beat goalie David Rautio. For Finland, it was their second comeback victory over Sweden in the last week.
Finland got to the extra frame when Teemu Nurmi tied things up with 50 seconds to go in regulation. With Finland pulling goalie Joonas Hallikainen, Nurmi was able to take advantage of a defensive breakdown by the Swedes and tie things up forcing the extra session.
Finland assistant coach Petri Matikainen was pleased with the effort of his team. “Fifth place is good for this team. They have improved their standing. In the past as 16’s and 18’s they were seventh and eighth. This is the best this group has ever done. Any win against Sweden is good.” Said Matikainen of the win over Finland’s biggest rival.
Sweden controlled the game early. Carl Soderberg got the Swedes on the board with a goal 7:12 into the first period. Coming around the net and putting the puck upstairs over Hallikainen put Sweden up 1-0. Finland was able to tie the game at the 15:25 mark with a goal by Ville Mantymaa, who unleashed a laser of a shot to beat Rautio high to the blocker side. Soderberg was strong early taking Finnish defenders with him all over the ice generating some quality chances for the Swedes.
“They like to slow it down, we were trying to speed up the tempo a little bit, but it wasn’t quite enough. It’s tough, emotional, especially with the loss to them earlier.” Said Soderberg who is a St. Louis Blues draft pick.
Hallikainen was strong to start the second period keeping Finland into the game. Hallikainen was tough stopping Robert Nillson on two shorthanded breakaways and another quality chance by Nicklas Bergfors. Hallikainen finished the game with 35 saves.
Bergfors put Sweden back up by one with the first of his two goals. Getting a nice pass from Linus Videll Bergfors was able to one-time the puck past Hallikainen for a power play goal. Bergfors, the youngest player on the Swedish team added a goal later as well.
“He is very good. He’s a scorer, next year he will be better and score more goals. He is a very hard worker.” Said Soderberg of his young teammate.
With Sweden leading 2-1 after two periods, Finland’s Aki Seitsonen tied things up with a goal at the 7:08 mark of the period. This was followed by Bergfors’ second goal. Taking the puck from behind the net Bergfors was able to shoot the puck off the back of a Finnish defender.
This set the stage for the heroics supplied by Nurmi and Kolehmainen.
“I don’t know what happened. I just got the puck and shot it as quick as I could. That was my first goal of the tournament. It feels good. That’s a big goal, especially against Sweden. Said Kolehmainen.
Sweden’s top players of the tournament were Nillson, Johannes Salmonsson, and Oscar Hedman. For Finland it was Nurmi, Mantymaa, and Petteri Nokelainen.
