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	TEAM LINE UPS
	EVENT SUMMARY

BUFFALO, N.Y. - In a closely matched fifth and sixth place decision, Team Switzerland edged Team Finland 3-2 in a shootout to determine seeding for next year’s tournament.

The first period yielded back-and-forth play with Finland tallying the first point of the contest. Finland’s offense cycled the puck down low and Erik Haula made a cross-crease pass to Teemu Pulkkinen who was planted in front of the net and tapped the loose puck in past Swiss goaltender Benjamin Conz.

Just three minutes later, Team Switzerland attacked Finland’s territory and fired a shot at Joni Ortio. The puck jumped loose from Ortio and a scramble began in front of the net as Finland looked to clear the puck. Switzerland’s Inti Pestoni was the first to get his stick on the puck and he batted it into the back of the net for a 1-1 tie.

Finland regained the lead as Teemu Tallberg banked the puck off the boards past the Swiss defender and on to Haula’s stick for a shorthanded breakaway opportunity. Haula streaked in and beat a sprawling Conz to take a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.

Switzerland started the second looking to compensate for the one goal difference. On the power play, Switzerland worked the puck around in the offensive zone, searching for an open lane. Forward Nino Niederreiter gained possession of the puck and worked the play back to Luca Camperchioli on the blue-line. Camperchioli wired a shot past a screened Ortio for a 2-2 tie. Ortio stopped Pestoni on a breakaway chance just one minute after the Swiss’ tying goal.

With 3:35 left in the second period, Conz made a sharp toe save on a 2-on-2 play to keep his team tied at two. Finland attacked offensively with 10 seconds remaining and Conz stood on his head to shut Finland down one last time before heading into the final period.

The start of the third period became a battle of special teams with five penalties assessed in the first ten minutes of play, three infractions to Switzerland and two handed to Finland. Neither team was able to capitalize on the man-advantage and claim the lead. The remaining ten minutes of disciplined hockey could not decide a winner and forced additional time.

The additional time allotted still could not name a winner as the match called for a shootout.

Yannick Herren, the fourth shooter, notched the winning shootout goal to lift Switzerland to victory and into fifth place for this year’s tournament. Despite disappointing Quarterfinal losses, Finland and Switzerland demonstrated their talent and ability in their final game of the Championship.

Captain Niederreiter commented on Switzerland’s tournament finish, “We played finally good today, I mean we had a bad start and then we came back stronger and stronger so it was a big win for us.”

When asked about what the win means to people in Switzerland, Niederreiter added, “I hope it’s getting bigger and bigger.”

The final two games of the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship will be played tomorrow at the HSBC Arena as Sweden and USA face off for the Bronze medal game at 3:30. Canada and Russia lace up for the Gold medal contest at 7:30 p.m.