In Herning, Denmark, the Swiss ice hockey team delivered a solid performance against the United States, emerging victorious with a 3-0 win during the world championship on Monday. This win marked the first defeat for the Americans in the tournament.
Damien Riat, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Dean Kukan were the key players who scored for Switzerland in the Group B match. Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni was pivotal in their win, successfully blocking 23 shots and ensuring a shutout.
U.S. coach Ryan Warsofsky acknowledged Switzerland’s strong play but emphasized the potential of his team, stating, “But I know our group has a lot more in them. We’ll regroup and get ready to play Norway.”
Early in the game, with 7:14 left in the first period, Riat opened the scoring by deflecting the puck into the net. This goal was the first conceded by the U.S. in the tournament. Siegenthaler added to the lead just over three minutes later with a shot from the blue line. Kukan sealed the win midway through the final period with a score from the top of the left circle.
Swiss forward Kevin Fiala commented on the game, noting, “After the first goal we did a better job, we got into it more and more, and shut them out.” Fiala not only provided an assist during this match but also marked his debut at the world championships after joining the team following the elimination of his NHL team, the Los Angeles Kings.
Meanwhile, U.S. goalie Joey Daccord managed 24 saves during the game. Before facing Switzerland, the United States had claimed victories over Denmark and Hungary, with 5-0 and 6-0 scores respectively and is set to compete against Norway on Wednesday.
In other championship action, Austria defeated Slovakia in a nail-biting penalty shootout, securing a 3-2 victory in Stockholm. The defending champion, the Czech Republic, was set to face Denmark in Herning later on the same day, while Sweden prepared to clash with Finland in Stockholm.