HERISAU, Switzerland – Switzerland won Division I gold and qualified for the 2010 IIHF World U20 Championship in Saskatoon and Regina, Canada. SC Bern defenseman Roman Josi scored the game-winner against Belarus at 56:51.
Switzerland vs. Belarus 2-1 (1-1, 0-0, 1-0)
Switzerland and Belarus went undefeated into the last game which saw the top teams play for promotion to the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Canada.
The game was a drama from start to finish. Switzerland's Etienne Froideveaux scored the opener after only 20 seconds, Igor Ravenko evened things at the 15 minute mark and the contest was decided only by Josi's goal three minutes before the end – when most of the 2,625 fans anticipated an overtime. Switzerland outshot Belarus 28-20.
"Belarus was the strong opponent we expected," said the 2-1-goal hero Josi. "Unfortunately, we lost our game plan after their equalizer, but we got back to it in the second period. We knew that the puck would eventually go our way if we continued to play focused. Of course, I was a bit lucky with the goal. I didn’t hit the puck as well as I wanted, but probably it confused the goalie."
It was a duel between the Swiss U20s, who played on division I level for the first time in 13 years and Belarus, which tried to find its way back after getting relegated two years ago.
The Swiss had the better start and created immediate pressure. First-line centre Etienne Froidevaux got the puck back from winger Gregory Sciaroni and, from a position from behind the net, he stayed cool enough to stuff the puck between Belarus goalie Vitali Belinski’s pads – 1-0 just 20 seconds into the game.
After the early wake-up call, Belarus created some serious offence. Neither team had space for artistic moves, but 2,625 fans were entertained by a game that was high-calibre.
Belarus equalized at 15:05 when Igor Revenko jumped on a rebound and beat Swiss netminder Damiano Ciaccio.
The second period ended goalless despite 15-6 in shots on goal for the Swiss, mixed with some quick Belarusian counter-attacks. The home team showed up with much pressure in the beginning of the third period but Roman Josi and Manuel Zigerli missed the best chances among a flurry of attacks.
It looked like Belarus goalie Vitali Belinski would lead his team to overtime, but he let in the game-winner at 56:51. Defenceman Roman Josi, a Nashville Predators second-round draft choice, crossed the blue line and scored with a shot from long distance.
Coach Andrei Gusov called for a time-out at 59:10 and pulled Belinski at 59:26, but the Swiss defence kept the crease clear and the crowd in Herisau counted down the last seconds until promotion back to the elite pool became reality.
Switzerland will play at the 2010 IIHF World U20 Championship in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada), while Belarus missed the promotion for the second time, by the smallest of margins.
"We were well prepared for the game, and we knew the major points about Belarus," said Swiss head coach Jakob Kölliker, who praised the strong hockey program in Belarus and sees them as a strong contender in the future.
"They have a very strong team and it was hard to beat them, but with discipline and a good defensive performance we could do it."
"It’s great to be back with the big nations for next season. We will have some experienced defencemen coming back in 2010, but there will be some changes in the offence. The smaller ice rinks in Canada will suit us. We always had good tournaments in Canada."
Andrei Gusev, the Belarus head coach:
"It was not the best game from our side, but we would like to thank the organizer and host city for a very good championship. There was unfortunately a combination of mistakes at the red line, in our defence and from our goalkeeper when the Swiss scored the 2-1 goal. But goalie Belinski played well in the tournament and in the final game, I expected more from our forwards."
Switzerland celebrates the promotion to the elite nations and the 2010 World U20 Championship in Canada. Photo: hockeyfans.ch
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Slovenia vs. Poland 4-0 (2-0, 0-0, 2-0)
Slovenia finished the tournament in fourth place thanks to a 4-0 win over Poland, which didn’t win another game after a 4-2 victory against Estonia.
The Slovenes had a strong first period with 22-8 shots on goal advantage. Anze Ropret opened the scoring at 2:52, Ziga Pance made it 2-0 at 15:15.
After a middle stanza with few scoring opportunities, Slovenia scored two more goals in the last period from Eric Pance and with Ropret’s second marker.
Ziga Pance scored one of the four Slovenian goals against Poland. Photo: hockeyfans.ch
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France vs. Estonia 19-0 (5-0, 8-0, 6-0)
Estonia had another double-digit defeat, this time without scoring a goal. France crushed the Estonians with a 19-0 victory.
Antoine Roussel scored the first goal at 3:40 and it took ten more minutes for the next marker but afterwards, the French forwards had little resistance in front of Villem-Henrik Koitmaa’s crease.
Eleven different players scored, two had even three goals: Graham Avenel and Raphael Papa.
France was a step quicker than the Estonians. Photo: hockeyfans.ch
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Player awards, selected by the tournament directorate:
Best goalkeeper: Vitali Belinski, Belarus
Best defenceman: Roman Josi, Switzerland
Best forward: Gregory Sciaroni, Switzerland
MARTIN MERK
