OHL Niagara IceDogs

Team Sweden Defeats Team Switzerland 4-3 in Shootout

Published on December 23, 2010 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Niagara IceDogs News Release


Team Sweden defeated Team Switzerland 4-3 in a shootout after playing what proved to be a close physical pre-competition battle at the Gatorade Garden City Complex Thursday night.

The first period was fast-paced as both teams played a solid physical game exchanging many bone-crushing hits and creating several quality scoring chances.

Team Sweden would be the first to score as Oscar Lindberg put one past Swiss goaltender Benjamin Conz after creating a turnover and letting a wrist shot go from the top of the circle, giving the Swedes a 1-0 lead.

Although Lindberg's goal was the only tally of the period, there was plenty of action in both ends of the ice, but Sweden would take their 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

The second period began on a similar note as the first as both teams were throwing some massive hits to set the physical tone.

Oscar Lindberg continued to put on a show in the second as he scored two more goals to complete a natural hat-trick, giving Sweden a 3-0 lead at the approach of the midway mark of the period.

The next goal wouldn't come until the dying minutes of the second, but this time it was the Swiss who converted as Inti Pestoni put one past Swedish goalie Fredrik Petterson Wentzel with the help of Reto Schappi to cut the Sweden lead to 3-1 - and the score would remain so after 40 minutes of play.

The third period was all Switzerland as Inti Pestoni picked up his second goal of the night after blasting home a centering pass to make it 3-2.

Romain Loeffel then scored a clutch tying goal for the Swiss while on a 5-on-3 power play with the help of the WHL's Portland Winterhawks teammates Nino Niederreiter and Sven Bartschi, giving the game a score of 3-3 to end regulation and force the game into overtime.

The overtime period was action-packed as both teams generated various scoring opportunities, most notably in the final minute when Gregory Hofmann had several attempts in the Sweden zone but couldn't bury a goal, leaving the game to be decided by a shootout.

Oscar Lindberg kept up his stellar play in the shootout as he converted in the first attempt for Team Sweden, while New York Islanders draft pick Nino Niederreiter made a beautiful move but hit the post, counting as a miss for Switzerland.

The next set of shooters missed for both teams, and Team Sweden took a close 4-3 shootout win.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 23, 2010


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