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Arttu Välilä netted the winner at two minutes and eleven seconds of overtime as Finland pulled off a stunning four to three win over the reigning two-time champion American team on Friday evening in the IIHF World Junior Championship last eight.

"Got to give full credit to the US," stated Finnish captain Aron Kiviharju. "They are a hell of a team, loaded with great individuals and a superbly organized team. But I mentioned we were seeking that revenge from the previous final, and I believe we kind of earned it this evening."

In the semifinal matches Sunday, Finland will face the Swedish team, while the Canadians will meet the Czech Republic. Sweden defeated Latvia 6-3, Canada produced a first-period five-goal outburst in a seven to one rout over the Slovakian team, and the Czechs overcame the Swiss by a six to two score.

Dramatic Third Period and Extra Session

The Michigan State Spartan L. Ryker knotted the score for the U.S. team with 1:33 remaining in regulation and the Notre Dame netminder Nick Kempf pulled for an additional skater.

L. Tuuva and Joona Saarelainen found the net in a 55-second burst in the third to hand their team a two to one lead. He leveled the score at 2 with 7:17 left, then set up his teammate's go-ahead goal with 6:22 remaining. Saarelainen also assisted on Tuuva’s goal.

Notable Performances and Post-Game Comments

The BU blueliner Cole Hutson recorded a goal and an assist for the United States after being struck in the back of the head versus Switzerland and missing two games.

"I thought we made good plays for most of the game," the defenseman said. "But the little bounces that they got, a lot of their high-quality opportunities resulted from our mistakes."

His BU teammate Cole Eiserman handed the United States a two to one edge on a power play with nine minutes and forty-five seconds remaining in the middle frame. He accepted a pass from his teammate and beat the Finnish goaltender with a quick shot from the right side.

C. Hutson scored on a rush 35 seconds into the second period. H. Ruohonen equalized at four minutes and forty-six seconds on a quick shot from the left wing.

Goaltending Stats

• Finland's goalie saved twenty-eight attempts.
• The American netminder made 21 saves.

The Americans fell in their final two games – losing 6-3 to Sweden on Wednesday night in the final preliminary game – after starting with their initial three matches.

"It has been an privilege to lead this group," stated the team's coach. "Our guys played a great game tonight and fell just a bit short. All credit to Finland. It's an empty feeling at the moment, but our players gave it all they had."

Additional Playoff Action

In the second match in the host city, the Canadian team overwhelmed Slovakia with the aforementioned first-period explosion.

Cole Reschny, Tij Iginla, Michael Misa, S. O'Reilly and B. Martin scored in the first period, and Porter Martone and Cole Beaudoin scored in the second. Jack Ivankovic turned aside 21 saves.

"This demonstrates how dominant we are," Martin said. "Going up five-nothing advantage, it really saps their morale."

In the opening playoff game, Anton Frondell scored twice for Team Sweden against Latvia. The defenseman L. Sahlin Wallenius had a goal and two helpers to help the Swedish side stay undefeated in their five outings.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis Tomas Galvas, S. Drancak, A. Jiricek, P. Sikora, Jiri Klima and Jakub Fibigr provided the goals for the Czechs.

Relegation Match Outcome

Germany triumphed in the consolation match, beating the Danes eight to four. Manuel Schams had two goals to ensure Germany retain its spot next year in the main event. The Danish side was relegated to the second tier.