SWISS SCORE GAME’S FIRST FOUR GOALS, ADVANCE TO SEMIS WITH WIN OVER RUSSIA

Press Release

YARMOUTH, N.S. – Jorden Gahler scored the game-winning goal on a shot from outside the blue-line early in the third period as Switzerland advanced to Friday’s semifinals at the World Junior A Challenge with a 4-1 quarter-final win over Russia on Thursday.

The Swiss are into the final four for the second time in as many tournament appearances; they won bronze in Penticton, B.C., in 2010.

With the Swiss nursing a one-goal lead in the opening minutes of the third period, Gahler took a slap shot that tipped off the top of the glove of Russian netminder Igor Shestyorkin and fell in for the 2-0 goal.
Christoph Bertschy, Robin Leone and Dean Kukan had the other goals for Switzerland, who outshot Russia 40-24. Leone was the lone Swiss skater to record more than one point, picking up an assist on Bertschy’s goal that opened the scoring just 24 seconds into the second period.

Luca Boltshauser recorded his first win in the Swiss goal, making 23 saves.

Anatoli Golyshev scored the lone goal for the Russians, ending Boltshauser’s shutout bid with 39 seconds left in the third period. The loss sends the Russians to the fifth-place game for the third year in a row; they haven’t been to the semifinals since winning bronze in 2009 in Summerside, P.E.I.
Shestyorkin finished with 36 saves for the Russians.

While the Swiss will take on the Americans in one of Friday’s semifinals (time TBD), the Russians will take on the loser of Thursday’s late quarter-final between Canada West and the Czech Republic in Saturday’s fifth-place game (2 p.m. AT).


 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)