Switzerland beats U.S. advances to World Hockey Championship final
More NHL Playoffs: | | | | |Switzerland has not won a medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship since 1953, but with a 3-0 win over the United States in Stockholm on Saturday, that is certain to change. The win puts Switzerland in the gold-medal game against host Sweden on Sunday, meaning the Swi s can finish with no worse than silver.Team USA will play Finland for bronze Sunday after an unexpected run to the semis with a stunning 8-3 win over Ru sia in the quarterfinals.New York Islanders prospect Nino Niederreiter opened the scoring in Saturdays semifinal off a 2-on-1 break, putting a wrist shot past Team USAs 19-year-old Gabe Jeudy-lally Jersey netminder, John Gibson, in the second period. The Swi s played disciplined, frustrating defense -- led by Nashville Predators blueliner -- and was able to manage an insurance goal off the stick of Julian Walker in the third period that put the game out of reach. Reto Suri scored an empty-netter to make it 3-0.Reto Berra, now a prospect of the Calgary Flames after he was acquired in the trade that sent Jay Bouwmeester to the St. Louis Blues this year, made 29 saves to shut out the Americans. He has primarily backed up Switzerlands more experienced goalie, Martin Gerber, who made 33 saves in a 2-1 win to get the Swi s there. It was a bold Shyheim Carter Jersey decision by Canadian-born head coach Sean Simpson to start Berra, but it paid off.Saturdays result is monumental for Switzerland. Even though the World Championship is not a best-on-best tournament, it is a difficult event to win. The Swi s, primarily European club players with a few current and former NHLers sprinkled in, have not lost a game in the tournament, posting wins over Canada, Sweden, USA and the Czech Republic twice. Thats not an easy road. The Swi s will next meet Sweden, which beat Finland 3-0 Saturday thanks to a pair of goals from Dallas Stars forward and one from former Hart Trophy winner . Warren Moon Jersey Win or lose Sunday, this tournament will go down as one of the most important events in Switzerland's long hockey history. The Swi s have never done better than silver at the event, and that medal came in 1935.Its a tough pill to swallow for the Americans, even though this team has far exceeded expectations in the tournament to date. Team USA has a shot at its first medal since 2004, also bronze, when it meets Finland. It will be the second matchup between the two clubs at this years worlds. The U.S. downed the Finns 4-1 in front of a sold-out crowd in Helsinki, behind a 31-save effort from Calvin Ridley Jersey Gibson. Team USAs young netminder, who was selected by the Anaheim Ducks39thoverall in 2011, has turned a lot of heads despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament. Posting wins over Finland and Ru sia, along with a .952 save percentage and 1.51 goals- Jayon Brown Jersey against average in four starts likely will grab the attention of the Ducks bra s. Gibson, a Pittsburgh native, played for the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League this year.The Americans have been led offensively by Colorado Avalanche star , who has paced the club with 13 points, and Nashville Predators forward , who has a team-high nine a sists.The bronze-medal game between Team USA and Finland gets going at 10 a.m. ET Sunday, while Switzerland and Sweden will square off for gold at 2:30 p.m. ET in Stockholm.