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Arttu Välilä netted the winner at 2:11 of extra time as the Finnish squad pulled off a stunning four to three win over the two-time defending champion American team on Friday evening in the world junior hockey quarter-finals.

"Got to give credit to the United States," stated Finland's leader A. Kiviharju. "That's a fantastic squad, loaded with great individuals and a well coached team. But I said we were seeking that payback from the previous final, and I believe we truly deserved it tonight."

In the semifinal matches Sunday, the Finns will take on the Swedish team, while the Canadians will play the Czech Republic. Sweden beat Latvia six to three, Canada had a five-goal first period in a 7-1 romp over the Slovakian team, and the Czechs topped Switzerland by a 6-2 score.

Thrilling Final Frame and Overtime

Michigan State’s L. Ryker tied it for the U.S. team with 1:33 left in regulation and the Notre Dame goalie N. Kempf pulled for an additional skater.

L. Tuuva and Joona Saarelainen found the net in a fifty-five-second span in the third period to give Finland a 2-1 lead. He tied it at 2 with seven minutes and seventeen seconds left, then assisted on his teammate's game-leading goal with six minutes and twenty-two seconds remaining. Saarelainen also earned a helper on the first goal.

Notable Contributions and Reactions

The Boston University defenseman C. Hutson recorded a goal and a helper for the Americans after taking a shot in the back of the head against Switzerland and missing the next two contests.

"In my opinion we made good plays for a lot of the game," the defenseman said. "But the little bounces that they got, a lot of their Grade-A chances resulted from our errors."

His university colleague Cole Eiserman gave the U.S. a 2-1 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 fooled the Finnish goaltender with a quick shot from the right side.

C. Hutson tallied on a fast break thirty-five seconds into the second. Heikki Ruohonen tied it at 4:46 on a snap shot from the left wing.

Between the Pipes Summary

• Finland's goalie stopped twenty-eight attempts.
• Kempf recorded twenty-one stops.

The U.S. squad lost their final two games – losing six to three to the Swedes on Wednesday night in the group finale – after winning their first three.

"It was an privilege to lead this team," said the American bench boss. "They played a terrific game today and fell just a bit short. All credit to Finland. It's an empty feeling at the moment, but our guys left everything on the ice."

Other Quarter-Final Results

In the second match in the host city, the Canadians routed Slovakia with the aforementioned first-period explosion.

C. Reschny, Tij Iginla, M. Misa, Sam O’Reilly and B. Martin tallied in the opening twenty minutes, and P. Martone and C. Beaudoin connected in the second. J. Ivankovic turned aside twenty-one shots.

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

In the first quarter-final, A. Frondell netted a pair for Team Sweden against Latvia. The defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius had a goal and two assists to help the Swedes remain perfect in their five outings.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis Tomas Galvas, Samuel Drancak, Adam Jiricek, Petr Sikora, J. Klima and J. Fibigr provided the goals for the Czechs.

Consolation Game Outcome

The German team triumphed in the consolation match, defeating Denmark eight to four. Manuel Schams had two goals to help his nation keep its place for the following season in the top division. Denmark dropped to Division I-A.