Sweden's junior ice hockey team defeated Latvia 6-3 in the JVM quarterfinal and advances to the semifinal for the fifth year in a row. Anton Frondell scored two goals, including the opener after just ten seconds. The semifinal opponent will be decided after the other quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinal in St Paul, Minnesota, Sweden started perfectly as Anton Frondell deflected in 1-0 after just ten seconds, assisted by Leo Sahlin Wallenius. “We wanted to go out and set the tone for the match and I somehow managed to get my stick on the puck,” the 18-year-old Djurgården talent tells SVT Sport.
Latvia tied 1-1 through Kristers Ansons in powerplay after a penalty on Sascha Boumedienne. Sweden regained the lead when captain Jack Berglund scored 2-1, his fourth goal in the tournament. In the second period, Sweden sealed the win with two quick goals: Boumedienne slammed in 3-1 into an open net, followed by Felix Carell's 4-1 from the slot.
Frondell's second goal came early in the third period to make it 5-2, but it resulted from a mix-up. “Honestly, I shouldn't have been on (the ice), I was on with the wrong guys. I'll take that. They'll forgive me since it became a goal,” he admits. Leo Sahlin Wallenius increased to 6-2 before Latvia pulled one back late to 6-3.
“We did this well, it was tight for a bit. A good start to the playoffs,” says Frondell. Defenseman Felix Carell adds: “We managed to tire them out by having most of the puck and moving it well in the attack zone.” Expert Håkan Loob emphasizes: “Quarterfinals are always sensitive matches: If you get knocked out, it's a fiasco”.
The semifinals are played Sunday evening and into Monday night in Minneapolis. Sweden, the top team from the group stage after beating the USA, will likely face the lowest-ranked semifinalist among Czechia, Switzerland, or Finland.
