Updated 23.14 | Published 22.13
GOTHENBURG. The quarter-final against Switzerland was highly dramatic.
Axel Sandin Pellikka became a big hero in extra time.
– It was absolutely magical. I didn’t understand what happened, he says.
The junior crowns were big favorites in the quarter-finals against Switzerland.
The favoritism did not immediately diminish when they went up to a 2–0 lead in the first period.
But it ended with drama. Switzerland came back and Sweden decided first in extra time.
Dream start
Otto Stenberg gave Sweden a dream start by scoring the lead goal after 1.34.
Before the end of the period, Jonathan Lekkerimäki made it 2-0.
But Switzerland came back and midway through the final period, Nick Meile leveled the score at 2-2 behind Hugo Hävelid – who conceded his first goals of the tournament.
full screen Photo: Pontus Orre
Great hero
Sweden ended the period on the power play after Meile lost his temper and went out for slashing. No goal came – and the match went to overtime.
There, Axel Sandin Pellikka stepped forward and decided. Sweden played on the power play as the 18-year-old found the crossbar with a neat shot, after which a big celebration erupted among the Swedish players in Scandinavium.
– It was damn nice to see it go in and I’m happy that we came out victorious from this fight, says Sandin Pellikka.
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full screen nextSweden is on to the semi-finals in the JVM.
1 / 2Photo: Pontus Orre
Did you see the puck hit the goal?
– I only heard people screaming. I had thought of some goal gesture before the tournament so that was it and then I went and screamed.
Switzerland drew up to 2–2 and during large parts of the match the Swedish team looked shaken.
Did a nervousness arise?
– It is obvious. If you are nervous, you care. The whole team gets a bit nervous but we just tell each other that we should love the situation and want to be the hero of the match. And show the Swedish people that we must move on, says the match hero.
It was a “TV puck pile” too!
– I have never been part of one like that. It went from joy to a little panic, I was about to be strangled there. But it was damn fun.
On Thursday, the Czech Republic awaits in the semi-finals. In the second semi, Finland faces the USA.
full screen Photo: Jesper Zerman / Bildbyrån
2024-01-02 21:47:40
#Sweden #ready #semifinals #JVM #huge #shocker
