Finland reach Olympic semi-finals following a remarkable 3–2 overtime victory against Switzerland in Milan on Tuesday night. The quarter-final contest appeared to slip from Finland’s grasp, but a late surge turned the match in their favor.
Switzerland dominated for more than 50 minutes, building a 2–0 lead midway through the third period and relying on disciplined defensive play to protect it. Finland’s breakthrough began at 53:54 when Sebastian Aho scored a precise wrist shot, narrowing the deficit to 2–1.
With the goalkeeper pulled in the final minutes, Miro Heiskanen forced overtime at 58:48, as the puck deflected in front of goal. In extra time, Artturi Lehkonen delivered the decisive goal, sending Finland into the semi-finals and sparking jubilant celebrations on the bench.
“We showed maturity and we didn’t give up,” Aho said after the match. “We talked between ourselves that belief cannot disappear. In two-goal games, you never know what happens.”
Swiss captain Nico Hischier admitted the defeat was difficult to process. “We fought hard. I’m proud of the team. This hurts,” he said. “They pushed when they were behind. We could have defended better, but they made good plays and scored good goals.”
Finland will face Canada in the semi-final on Friday. The matchup follows the United States’ 2–1 overtime win over Sweden on Wednesday, setting up a high-stakes contest for a place in the Olympic final.
