🇸🇪 Sweden 4-2 Switzerland 🇨🇭
World Junior Championship Preliminary Round
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Sunday, 28 December 2025

Sweden scored two goals early in the third period to erase a 2-1 Switzerland lead en route to a 4-2 win this afternoon at Grand Casino Arena.

The win allows Sweden to keep pace with the United States for top spot in Group A. The loss keeps the Swiss winless after two games, in last place with 0-2 Germany.

Sweden plays again tomorrow afternoon against Germany while the Swiss get an off day before facing those same Germans on Tuesday.

The Swedes entered the game with a 24-0-4 all-time record against Switzerland, who last won, 2-0, on 02 January 2019.

Sometimes the details make all the difference, and the start of this game is a case in point. On his first shift, captain Leon Muggli rattled a low shot off the post past Love Härenstam, but the puck stayed out. Moments later, it was the Swedes who opened the scoring.

Carrying the puck over the Swiss blue line, defender Leo Sahlin Wallenius criss-crossed with Eric Nilson and then wafted a pass to him in front. He made a quick move and slid the puck in at 53 seconds for the 1-0 Sweden lead.

The Swiss recovered from this lapse and played their opponents evenly the rest of the period. They were rewarded at 14:27 when Beni Waidacher’s low shot went all the way through a tangle of bodies and skates, making it a 1-1 game.

The Swiss gave a masterclass in two-way play in the second period, stifling almost every Swedish attack and allowing Elijah Neuenschwander to see the puck. They had limited the U.S. attack to two goals last night, and the Swedes were now witnessing firsthand how it was done.

Indeed, the only goal of the period was a late strike from the Swiss. Lars Steiner’s screened shot went in and out of the net so quickly referees initially called no goal on the play. But at the next whistle they reviewed the shot, and within seconds realized the puck went in at 18:22

Sweden started the third on a power play and didn’t waste any time in tying the score. Viggo Björck’s snap shot from the high slot at 57 seconds wasn’t a power-play goal exactly, but Jonah Neuenschwander’s penalty expired only one second previous and he wasn’t back in the play by the time Björck took his shot.

Moments later, Alfons Freij rattled a shot off the post, and at 6:28 the Swedes re-took the lead after the Swiss were lax in trying to clear the zone. Lucas Pettersson got to the puck and beat Elijah Neuenschwander before the goalie knew what had happened.

Lucas Pettersson added an empty netter with 46.4 seconds remaining to close out the scoring.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
00:53 – 🇸🇪 GOAL – Nilson (Sahlin Wallenius)
03:12 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Geisser, tripping
09:13 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Aeschlimann, slashing
14:27 – 🇨🇭 GOAL – Waidacher (Muggli, Ustinkov)
17:51 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Öhrqvist, holding

2nd Period
24:26 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Muggli, interference
37:21 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Håkansson, unsportsmanlike conduct
37:21 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Cattin, unsportsmanlike conduct
38:22 – 🇨🇭 GOAL – Steiner (Ustinkov, Muggli)
38:56 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Neuenschwander, holding

3rd Period
40:57 – 🇸🇪 GOAL – Björck (Freij, Frondell)
46:28 – 🇸🇪 GOAL – Pettersson (Danielsson, Nilson)
48:48 – 🇸🇪 PEN – Håkansson, tripping
59:13 – 🇸🇪 EN GOAL – Pettersson (Stenberg)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇸🇪 Härenstam (28-30)
L: 🇨🇭 Neuenschwander (26-29)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇸🇪 13+7+10 = 30
🇨🇭 15+8+7 = 30

ROSTERS
🇸🇪 Goaltenders: Love Härenstam, Herman Liv. Defence: Sascha Boumedienne, Felix Carell, Alfons Freij, William Håkansson, Victor Johansson, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Felix Öhrqvist. Forwards: Jack Berglund (C), Viggo Björck, Liam Danielsson, Victor Eklund, Linus Eriksson, Anton Frondell (A), Eddie Genborg, Milton Gästrin, Casper Juustovaara, Loke Krantz, Eric Nilson, Lucas Pettersson (A), Ivar Stenberg.
🇨🇭 Goaltenders: Christian Kirsch, Elijah Neuenschwander. Defence: Niklas Blessing, Mischa Geisser, Ludvig Johnson, Gian Meier (A), Leon Muggli (C), Basile Sansonnens, Daniil Ustinkov. Forwards: Mike Aeschlimann, Robin Antenen, Nathan Borradori, Nolan Cattin, Joel Grossniklaus, Cyrill Henry, Kimi Körbler, Paul Mottard, Jonah Neuenschwander, Jamiro Reber, Lars Steiner, Beni Waidacher, Loris Wey (A).

Article Credit: 2026 World Junior Championship
Photo Credit: 2026 World Junior Championship – IIHF – HHOF – IOC