Sweden beat Finland in a dramatic World Juniors semifinal, winning in an eighth-round shootout as Anton Frondell sent Sweden to the final.
It was a nail-biting World Juniors semifinal between archrivals Sweden and Finland. Sweden struck first, only for Finland to answer each time throughout the game. In the end, Sweden edged it by the narrowest of margins, prevailing in the eighth round of the shootout. Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell emerged as the hero, alongside goaltender and St. Louis Blues prospect Love Härenstam. Here’s how Frondell reacted immediately after the game.
“Now we’re happy. We’re through to the final,” said Anton Frondell to the Swedish TV channel SVT after the game.
A key moment came when Sweden was forced to kill a penalty with two minutes remaining in overtime. Finland generated several chances, but Sweden’s penalty kill laid out to block shots and push the game to a shootout.
“All credit to the guys who killed off the four-on-three late in overtime. That was really strong. That’s why we’re standing here now,” said Frondell.
Despite the tension, there was a sense of calm in Sweden’s game. That was especially evident in Frondell’s shootout attempts, as he came close to scoring on an earlier round before delivering the eventual game-winner.
“It doesn’t get any more exciting than this. We told each other to just embrace the moment. After all, it’s a semifinal decided in a shootout. That’s something you’ve dreamed about since you were a kid, so it’s strong that we managed to pull it off,” said Anton Frondell to SVT.
Anton Frondell missed his first two shootout attempts before finally converting. Before that, Jack Berglund had kept Sweden alive by scoring in the fifth round.
“It meant a lot to be trusted to take the shootout attempt. Jack Berglund saves us with his shootout goal. That’s just as important, so full credit to the entire team. It was a strong performance, and we went all the way to the wall.”
Sweden held the lead several times, making it a mental blow when Finland equalized with six minutes remaining in the third period. But Sweden did not fold, a resilience Anton Frondell appreciates in this group.
“We have the lead going into the third period. If we don’t give up a goal, we win. That’s all it takes. They manage to score one, but the hope was never gone. It’s strong that we still end up winning in the end,” he said to SVT.
He concluded with a clear message ahead of the final:
“Now it’s time to celebrate for a short while, but we haven’t won anything yet.”
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