STOCKHOLM :Tage Thompson fired a sudden-death winner for Team USA as they claimed a thrilling victory over Switzerland in the final of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship on Sunday, their first gold medal at the tournament since 1933.
After impressing with their free-flowing attacking play earlier in the tournament, both teams engaged in an enthralling and bruising tactical battle that remained scoreless for the entire 60 minutes, prompting the overtime period that saw the teams reduced from five to three players on the ice, plus their goaltenders.
Swiss net-minder Leonardo Genoni played superbly throughout, but there was little he could do when Thompson broke forward and drove home the winning goal two minutes and two seconds into the overtime period to claim the victory.
Earlier on Sunday, co-hosts Sweden and Denmark met in the bronze-medal match with the Swedes running out 6-2 winners to take third place, and the Danes finishing fourth to secure their best-ever placing following their seismic defeat of Canada at the quarter-final stage on Thursday.
