Hockey

U.S. Knocks Off Top-Seeded Switzerland, 3-0, in Men’s Worlds Quarterfinals


Play was quick on both ends of the ice, but the stout U.S. defense held the tournament’s leading offensive team at bay with only four shots in the opening 20 minutes. A tripping call past the halfway mark put the U.S. on the power play and Ben Meyers (Delano, Minn.) netted one with the man advantage at 11:59 to give the U.S. the lead. Meyers worked his way in front of the crease as the puck fell off his blade but deflected off a Swiss player and skidded into the goal. Kieffer Bellows (Edina, Minn.) and Luke Hughes (Canton, Mich.) were credited with assists on the play.

With under 4:00 to go in the period, Andrew Peeke (Parkland, Fla.) banked one off the boards to clear the puck out of the zone. Adam Gaudette (Braintree, Mass.) traced the puck and was in a battle down the ice, as Swiss netminder Leonardo Genoni came out to play the puck. Gaudette swiped at the loose puck right before Genoni could get to it, and cleaned it up off one knee in the crease to make it 2-0. Team USA had 12 total shots in the period.

Switzerland looked to cut the U.S. lead down to one while on the power play early in the second, but U.S. netminder Jeremy Swayman (Anchorage, Alaska) blocked multiple scoring chances aside. As the power play expired, Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass.) came out of the box with a breakaway opportunity but was denied by Genoni.

Switzerland’s Denis Malgin broke up the middle between two U.S. defenders and had a great chance, but Swayman stretched for the toe save, and stopped the rebound save right after. Switzerland had 17 shots on net in total in the middle frame, but Swayman turned them all aside to keep a two-goal lead heading into the third.

The U.S. put the pressure on 4:00 through the third as Boldydrove towards the net and nearly made it 3-0. Boldy had another look shortly after that was blocked away, followed by Gaudette with a look of his own, but Genoni turned it towards the boards.

With 5:54 to play, Meyers netted his second of the game to increase the U.S. lead to three. Sean Farrell (Hopkinton, Mass.) sent a touch pass to Karson Kuhlman (Esko, Minn.) who held on to the puck until the last moment before he dished it to Meyers for the goal. Thirteen seconds later, Switzerland pulled its netminder and brought on an extra skater. Swayman and the U.S. defense held strong and held off Switzerland to take the quarterfinal game, 3-0.

NOTES: Jeremy Swayman (Anchorage, Alaska) was named U.S. Player of the Game … Switzerland outshot the U.S., 33-22 … Team USA converted on its only power play opportunity, while Switzerland was 0-2… For more information about the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Championship, click here.





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