Early goals sink Swiss
Giving up early goals in each period proved to be too much for the Swiss national under-17 team to overcome against their Finnish counterparts.
“For us, it was tough because they got a quick first goal against in the first period and then the same in the second period,” said Swiss coach Beat Lautenschlager after his Switzerland U17 squad fell 7-1 to Finland U17 in the male division final of the Mac’s AAA Midget Hockey Tournament on New Year’s Day.
“We came a little bit better in the game in the second, but then we want to push them more in the third. Again they got a quick first goal in the third, so it was really difficult to get back in the game against such a good team.”
With Finland up 3-0 after one period, Kasper Bjorkqvist scored at 1:22 of the second to extend that lead.
Joachim Vodoz finally scored with 4:08 left in the second to get the Swiss on the board, but the Finns rebounded to add three more goals in the final frame to secure the victory.
Swiss defenceman and assistant captain Roger Karrer said the Finns were definitely the toughest competition his group faced during the tournament.
“They are very good as a team and as individual players,” said Karrer, who joined with his countrymen to salute the crowd at the Saddledome following Wednesday’s championship game. “The fans were very loud and they motivated us.”
After finishing atop Pool 1 with a 4-0 record in the preliminary round of the tournament, Switzerland U17 doubled the Regina Pat Canadians 6-3 in one of four quarter-finals on Tuesday morning before beating the Sherwood Park Kings 7-4 in semifinal action later that afternoon.
“Two games in one day was really tough,” Lautenschlager said. “I think the second game after we came back it gave some power back, but then we couldn’t bring this power in the first period (of the final). We couldn’t find our rhythm.”
Karrer and his teammates didn’t mind the pressure of having to win a pair of playoff contests on Tuesday to advance to the championship game.
“It was hard, but this is the finals,” said the 16-year-old defenceman, who hails from Zurich. “Another game, so it’s OK. It’s a great moment to play in an NHL stadium.”
The experience of playing in the final at the Saddledome against the formidable Finns will definitely bode well for the Swiss players, Lautenschlager said.
“For them it’s a good experience for the next step,” he said. “For most of these boys, the goal is to make the Swiss highest league or to make the NHL. We told them before the game to have fun. This is a historic place here with all the Olympics. It’s special.”
ICE CHIPS: Here are the male division award winners for the tournament: Most valuable player: Petrus Palmu, Finland U-17. Top scorer: Julius Nattinen, Finland U-17. Best goaltender: Veni Vehvilainen, Finland U-17. Plus-minus award: Petrus Palmu, Finland U-17. Best defenceman: Olli Juolevi, Finland U-17. Outstanding Coach: Del Pedrick, Notre Dame Argos. Most sportsmanlike player: Kris Tomazevic, Alaska Junior Aces. Most sportsmanlike team: Moose Jaw Generals.