Axel Sandin Pellikka scored his first goal of the tournament on a power play at 5:22 of overtime to give Sweden a 3-2 win over Switzerland in the last quarterfinals of the day. The win sets up a semifinals matchup with Czechia on Thursday. 

Switzerland goes home with a 7th-place finish after winning just one of five games.

Sweden built an early 2-0 lead only to see the Swiss slowly claw their way back into the game. But in the overtime, Rodwin Dionicio took a hooking penalty and Sandin Pelikka sent a quick wrist shot to the far side that beat Alessio Beglieri, who was sensational all night long for the Swiss.

"It's great to win that game," enthused captain Liam Ohgren. "The quarterfinals is always a challenge. It was a tough game. We need to play a full 60 minutes, and I don't think we did that this game, though. Our level went down a little bit in the second period. I think we need to fix that, but it's great to get the win."

 
The win also brings Sweden one step closer to their ultimate dream. "This so exciting," Ohgren continued. "Sweden has won gold twice at the World Juniors, but I think it's time to win another. It would be so special to win it at home. We've never done that."

Sverige got just the start it wanted, grabbing a 1-0 lead just 1:34 from the opening faceoff. Mattias Havelid’s quick shot was tipped in front by Otto Stenberg, and the puck dipped under the glove of Beglieri and trickled in, sending the home crowd into celebration.

Credit to the Swiss, though. They fought hard the rest of the period and had control of the puck in the Sweden end often, but they didn’t generate any dangerous shots and Hugo Havelid, making his third start of the tournament, wasn’t tested to any great degree.

Late in the period, Rodwin Dionicio earned the game’s first penalty when he inadvertently flipped the puck over the glass. Sweden struck for their second goal on the ensuing power play. Jonathan Lekkerimaki snapped a high shot into the top corner while Beglieri was expertly screened by Anton Wahlberg. It was Sweden’s 7th power-play goal, tied with Slovakia for the most, and came on just their 15th power-play situation.

The Swedes spent the second period playing Sweden-with-a-lead hockey, going up and down the ice, killing the clock, and allowing nothing in their own end. Noah Ostlund almost added to their lead early, wiring a shot off the crossbar, but in one quick moment late in the frame, the Swiss managed to get back into the game.

Jamiro Reber drove down the left side, and as he curled into the corner he found Jan Hornecker in front. In one motion Hornecker wired a high shot that beat Havelid cleanly at 17:26, and just like that it was a 2-1 game.

The Swedes dominated the rest of the period, and Ohgren snapped another puck off the crossbar, but after 40 minutes we had ourselves a hockey game.

And even in the third Sweden continued to play the clock down effectively...until another quick strike. Nick Meiele got the puck at the point and snapped a shot that somehow eluded half a dozen bodies in front of Havelid and found its way into the top corner at 9:10.

Tie game, overtime on the horizon. Sandin-Pelikka the hero. And now the semi-finals.

"The Canada game [2-0 win] shows how we want to play," Ohgren said. "We played really well that game, start to finish. I don't think we'll lose very often if we play like that. I'm happy for Czechia to win as well, but we'll do everything we can to win that game."