Juniorkronorna suffered a heavy 1-5 defeat to Finland after two straight wins, marking a stark reality check in Piestany. Melvin Fernström scored Sweden's lone goal in power play, but early mistakes and penalties proved costly. Coach Magnus Hävelid called for improvements ahead of the match against Czechia.
The Swedish U20 team, known as Juniorkronorna, entered their matchup against Finland on a high note with two convincing victories. However, the game turned into a nightmare early on. Finland struck first when Markus Loponen scored at the 6-minute mark, followed quickly by Joona Sarelainen's goal two minutes later to make it 2-0.
Sweden responded before the end of the first period. In a chaotic power-play situation in front of Finnish goaltender Petteri Rimpinen, Melvin Fernström poked the puck in to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The second period saw Juniorkronorna push for an equalizer, with Jack Berglund's shot clanging off the post being the closest chance. But Finland regained control, as Max Westergård tapped in a rebound for 3-1. Later, in another power play, Atte Joki finished a precise passing play to extend the lead to 4-1.
In the third period, Sweden attempted a comeback but couldn't find the net. Loponen sealed the 5-1 victory with the final goal. Coach Magnus Hävelid was critical post-game, stating, “Över 60 minuter var de ett klart bättre lag. Vi ska hem och göra läxan,” emphasizing the need to analyze mistakes like early penalties and failure to adapt to the referee.
Hävelid added, “I mångt och mycket sätter vi oss i en uppförsbacke... Vi skulle behöva vara tåligare.” He dismissed fatigue as an excuse, noting Finland's consistent intensity. The lineup featured Love Härenstam in net, with backups Herman Liv, and forwards including Lucas Pettersson, Anton Frondell, and Viktor Eklund. Scratches were Felix Öhrqvist, Viggo Gustafsson, Milton Gästrin, and Karl Sterner.
With a rest day on Saturday, Hävelid stressed preparation for Sunday's crucial game against Czechia: “Den här matchen är jätteviktig för oss att plocka isär och lära oss något av.”