USA rolls past Switzerland 7-2 to secure semi-final spot

USA - Switzerland 7-2

With dominant performances across the board, the Americans continued their march towards another gold medal, outshooting the Swiss 31-19 and controlling play for most of the game.

The Americans wasted no time establishing dominance, jumping to a 3-0 lead within the first 12 minutes. Brandon Svoboda opened the scoring at 6:39 with a sharp-angle shot that beat Swiss starting goalie Christian Kirsch, a goal he'd likely want back. Just under two minutes later, James Hagens capitalized on a precise feed from Brodie Ziemer, deking out Kirsch for a composed finish.

Ryan Leonard added the third with a burst of speed, cutting around Nils Rhyn and roofing the puck over Kirsch’s glove. That marked the end of Kirsch's night as Switzerland brought in Elijah Neuenschwander for relief.

Switzerland briefly pushed back with a shorthanded goal at 15:04. Jamiro Reber won a faceoff in the U.S. zone, and Rhyn’s long shot snuck past Hampton Slukynsky. But the momentum was short-lived, as Danny Nelson redirected a pass from Oliver Moore into the net at 16:44, restoring the Americans’ three-goal cushion.

The middle frame cemented the Americans' dominance, as they scored three unanswered goals, showcasing their clinical power play. Gabe Perreault’s playmaking was on full display, assisting on all three tallies.

Zeev Buium scored at 7:45, finishing a beautiful passing sequence from Perreault during a double minor power play. Later, Perreault set up Hagens at 15:03 for his second of the night. Moments later, Leonard completed his brace, tapping in a Perreault pass to make it 7-1.

Despite the lopsided score, Switzerland didn’t quit. Andro Kaderli scored a power-play goal at 46:53, jamming the puck past Slukynsky. While the Swiss played a more structured game in the final frame, the deficit was insurmountable.

Tweets by @eurohockey