Neuchatel, Switzerland, December 10, 2019 – Hosts Switzerland, reigning champions Sweden, and the Czech Republic soared into the quarter-finals after big victories in their groups ensured a top two finish in their groups, while Denmark overcame Estonia to reach the playoff round from Group C.
Switzerland’s triumph ensured they went straight through to the last eight as Group A winners, with Finland progressing as runners-up. Sweden were top of the tree in Group B, with the Czechs coming second there.
Meanwhile, today’s beaten teams Poland, Latvia and Slovakia will enter the playoffs, alongside Denmark, who won their do-or-die Group C decider against Estonia. Joining those teams in the playoffs will be Singapore and Australia who progress from Group D, Norway- who emerged as Group C winners- and Group A’s bottom side Germany.
Patinoires du Littoral:
10:30 am- Singapore 4:3 Australia (Group D)
Singapore overturned a two-goal deficit in the first period to edge out Australia and soar into the playoff-round as Group D winners.
With both sides already having booked their place in the playoff round as guaranteed top-two finishers in the group, this match-up would decide the accolade of group winner, and it was the Australians who made the early headway with a quick start in the opening 20 minutes.
Blaise Hodges’ pass allowed Jessica Birks to hammer in for Australia’s opening goal, before the duo combined again with Birks turning provider for Hodges’ neat finish, thus propelling the Aussies into a two-goal lead by the first interval.
However, all that early momentum disappeared in four second period minutes. Lina Chu pulled a goal back for Singapore before Michelle Lok, who scooped the MVP accolade for her performance, tucked home to level the score.
Singapore went on to snatch a priceless lead with four minutes left in the second period. Jerelee Ong, one of Singapore’s better performers so far this tournament, provided for Natalia Wee to edge Singapore ahead, before Swee Ling Ong doubled the advantage three minutes into the final period for vital breathing space.
And that fourth goal proved crucial. Hodges arrowed in an effort with just over five minutes remaining to cut Singapore’s lead to one and set-up a tense finish, but Singapore clung on for the win, indebted to the heroics of goalkeeper Fariza Begum Mohamed Zabir, who made 25 saves across the whole game. The full-time klaxon brought down a wave of relief, and through go both sides with Singapore in pole position, a playoff-match to potentially reach the quarter-finals lying in wait for both.
Group A’s bottom side Germany will be Singapore’s opponents in the playoff, while Australia have a date with Poland to look forward to.
1:30 pm- Denmark 8:3 Estonia (Group C)
Mathilde Christensen’s four-goal haul helped Denmark brush aside Estonia and advance to the play-off round as Group C runners-up behind Norway, sending Estonia to the classification ties.
It was a composed performance on a big occasion for Denmark, who knew that victory would guarantee passage to the playoffs and with it a chance to reach the quarter-finals; and it was the Danes who made the brighter start of the two teams as Lina Voldby struck before Mathilde Christensen grabbed her first goal of the afternoon, handing them a 2:0 lead after just five minutes.
Four minutes from the first interval, Liina Luih halved the deficit for Estonia, but Christensen slammed in her second goal of the game 14 seconds after the restart to restore Denmark’s two-goal cushion.
A stubborn Estonian side then hit back again, Kati Kutisaar reducing the lead to one once more, but Emma Vistisen tucked away an effort to ensure that Denmark would take a two-goal lead into the closing period with the score at 4:2.
12 seconds into the closing third, the Danes pulled away from their opponents as Klara Fjorder fired in for 5:2, before Christensen completed her hattrick to notch Denmark’s sixth.
Helen Ojala fired in a consolation goal for Estonia shortly after, but the Danes had the last word when Christensen coolly finished for her fourth goal of the game in an MVP performance, shortly before Klara Fjorder tapped in to finish with a brace in the closing minutes.
A thoroughly professional performance from the Scandinavians, and they will go into their playoff with Slovakia with plenty of confidence. Meanwhile, Estonia will take on the USA in their first classification match.
4:30 pm- Czech Republic 19:3 Slovakia (Group B)
Czech Republic ran out convincing winners in the derby as they hammered close rivals Slovakia 19:3 to breeze into the quarter-finals in style, this victory guaranteeing a top two place in Group B.
Slovakia will have to get through the playoff round if they are to reach the last eight, and they will need to put in a much-improved performance after all their frailties were brutally exposed by their neighbours from across the border.
The Czechs were eight goals ahead by the end of the opening period. Michaela Mlejnkova hit an opening third hattrick, Nela Kapcova helped herself to a brace, while Vendula Berankova, Denisa Ratajova and Martina Repkova all joined them on the scoresheet.
Tereza Urbankova tucked in a ninth three minutes into the second period, before Alzbeta Durikova scored for the Slovaks to slightly ease their misery.
The Czechs, however, were in ruthless mood, and Urbankova grabbed her second shortly after to make it double figures at 10:1. Slovak duo Kristina and Paulina Hudáková pulled two back for Slovakia to salvage some pride, but that was as good as it got as Kapcova completed her hattrick and Mlejnkova got her fourth of the game, with Magdalena Plaskova also chipping in. 13:3 to the Czechs, and there was still one third of the game to go.
And the rampant Czech side didn’t let up: Ivana Superkova and Eliska Krupnova both joined the long lost of Czech scorers, and Ratajova and Plakova completed their braces. Mlejnkova got in on the act again with her fifth of the game, before Urbankova completed her hattrick late on to complete a miserable and punishing afternoon for Slovakia. They will have to get the better of Denmark in the playoff if they are to reach the last eight.
7:30 pm- Poland 0:11 Switzerland (Group A)
Switzerland brought the curtain down on a superb Group A campaign with a third successive win, downing Poland in an 11:0 shutout to soar straight the quarter-finals as group winners.
The Poles will have to get through a playoff round against Australia if they are to reach the last eight themselves, and they will have a great deal to improve on as the Swiss dismantled them with ease in the first period.
After 14 minutes, Michelle Wiki had bagged a brace and Andrea Gamperli had put the hosts 3:0 up. However, it was the second period of the match where the hosts really got the wind under their sails, as Corin Rüttimann, Geraldine Rossier and Flurina Marti all added to the tally, while Wiki added a fine goal to clinch her hattrick. The Swiss weren’t done though, and they’d enter the second break in the game eight goals up after Gamperli drove in from range to score a fine second.
Over the third period with the safety net of a big lead, the hosts comfortably saw out the game, with Brigitte Mischler, Mirjam Hintermann and Chiara Gredig all converting to put the gloss on a stunning team performance. Whichever opponent they may face, on this showing the Swiss have nothing to fear.
La Riveraine:
4:30 pm- USA 5:10 Thailand (Group D)
Thailand will go into the classification ties with a confidence boosting first win of the campaign under their belt after comfortably beating the USA. Lalita Kuiraphanew drew first blood for the Thais, but the Americans briefly levelled the tie after eight minutes through Victoria Lindstrom. The Thais edged ahead again halfway through the opening third with Aliisa Syrjaenen’s strike, then extended the lead five minutes into the second period as Soraya Klinsrisuk converted.
Christine Lindberg briefly reduced the Thais lead to one, but retaliatory strikes from Nelly Johansson, Klinsrisuk and Kuiraphanew saw the southeast Asians take a 2:6 lead into the closing period.
Six seconds into the closing twenty minutes, Victoria Lindstrom scored a third for the Americans which was quickly cancelled out by Manassaree Prasanpim’s conversion. Marie Haggstrom replied for the States shortly after to make the score 4:7, but the Thais weren’t finished, as Thanaporn Tongkham notched two goals either side of Prasanpim’s second of the game to make the lead 4:10. Saskia Gerecke’s late goal ensured that the Americans had the final word, but it was too little too late to affect the result.
Thailand will now face Japan in their first classification game, while Estonia lie in wait for the Americans.
7:30 pm- Sweden 16:1 Latvia (Group B)
Reigning champions Sweden sealed their progress direct to the quarter-finals with a 16:1 mauling of Latvia, meaning the Swedes progress as Group B winners while the Latvians will have to negotiate a playoff tie with Group C’s top dogs Norway if they are to reach the last eight themselves.
Moa Gustafsson, Sweden’s MVP performer on the night, finished the match with four goals, while Amanda Delgado Johansson, Sofia Joelsson, Johanna Hultgren and Moa Tschop all bagged braces.
In a comfortable opening period, goals from Stephanie Boberg, Gustafsson, Joelsson and Delgado Johansson saw the Swedes go into the first break four goals up, and after the break Gustafsson completed her hattrick among other strikes from Tschop, Joelsson and Hultgren.
Veteran Anna Wijk also got on the scoresheet during the second period, and it was a special night for her as she broke a World Championship record by registering her 74th assist in the competition over the years.
10:0 up before the last twenty minutes even got started, the Swedes really let the shackles off in the closing period. Hultgren grabbed her second of the game before Gustafsson swept in her fourth, followed by efforts from Delgado Johansson, Isabell Krantz and Alice Granstedt to rack up the score to 15:0.
Latvia’s Simona Grapena deprived the Swedes of a clean sheet as she tucked away the Baltic outfit’s only goal of the game, but the Swedes would finish the game the stronger with Tschop on target to cap off a 16:1 win.
The Swedes will be a force to be reckoned with in the quarter-finals for their eventual opponents, while Latvia will need to pick themselves up quickly for the playoff match with the Norwegians.