The United States beat Sweden 6-2 to advance to the final of the ice hockey world championship on Saturday.

In Sunday’s final, the U.S. will play Switzerland. The Swiss blanked Denmark 7-0 to reach the gold medal game for the second straight year.

Switzerland shut out the U.S. 3-0 in the group stage, the Americans’ only defeat.

Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots against Sweden and the U.S. remained on course to win the worlds for the first time since 1933.

The Americans were also formally awarded the title in 1960 and 1980 when they won the Olympic tournaments and the worlds did not take place.

By reaching the final, the U.S. achieved its best result since the 1950 silver medal.

“It’s a good feeling,” captain Clayton Keller said. “There’s one more game to win. We’re going to focus on tomorrow.”

The U.S. jumped to 2-0 in the opening period, outshooting the Swedes 13-3.

Brady Skjei scored 6:52 in with a shot from the blue line that went through heavy traffic in front of goaltender Jacob Markstrom. Cutter Gauthier doubled the advantage with 2:47 remaining, picking up the puck after a shot by Shane Pinto was blocked and directed it into the net between Makstrom’s pads.

Gauthier was born in Skelleftea, Sweden, in 2004 when his father, a goaltender, played for a local team.

Conor Garland added the third with 8:53 to go in the second, knocking in a rebound. Mikey Eyssimont made it 4-0 on a 4-on-2 rush from the right circle.

Samuel Ersson replaced Markstrom in the Swedish net at the start of the final period.

William Nylander scored the first for Sweden 6:32 into the the third period, and Elias Lindholm scored another 41 seconds later to give Sweden some hope at 4-2.

But defenseman Jackson LaCombe beat Ersson for the fifth with 8:51 to go. Shane Pinto finished it off into an empty net to complete a three-point game after assisting on the opening two goals.

“Every single guy contributed and I couldn’t be more proud of our group,” U.S. coach Ryan Warsofsky said.

U.S. opens Sled Worlds with shutout of Norway

Declan Farmer, Evan Nichols, and Brody Roybal each scored multiple goals to help lift the U.S. National Sled Team to a 12-0 victory in its opening game of the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championship in Detroit.

“I think it was a great start to the tournament,” said David Hoff, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Team. “Now, it’s just about progressing and continuing to build off that performance.”

minor league baseball

Norfolk pastes Saints in opener of doubleheader

Ideal conditions that have been a rarity this year did not help the Saints, who lost 12-1 in the first game of a doubleheader at CHS Field.

Mike Ford went 2-for-3 and drove in St. Paul’s lone run.

The nightcap occurred after this edition went to press.

tennis

Djokovic wins 100th career singles title

Novak Djokovic has finally clinched his 100th career singles title by beating Hubert Hurkacz to become the Geneva Open champion.

Djokovic won their final 5-7, 7-6, 7-6. Djokovic lost his two previous finals since his 99th title win nine months ago at the Paris Olympics.

The three-time French Open champion heads back to Paris looking to add to his 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

He has a French Open first-round match on Monday against Mackenzie McDonald of the United States.

Djokovic joins tennis greats Jimmy Connors, who has a record 109 titles, and Roger Federer on 103 as the only men with a century of tournament wins in the Open era.

soccer

Barca falls in women’s Champions League final

Defending champion Barcelona was upset by Arsenal 1-0, who won the Women’s Champions League for a second time.

Stina Blackstenius scored in the 75th minute after being set up by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.

Arsenal’s title came 18 years after it became the first and still the only English team to win the top club title in women’s soccer.

Conversely, the Arsenal men’s side has never won a European title. The Arsenal men fell to Paris Saint-Germain in the men’s Champions League semifinals this year, though they did defeat Real Madrid twice.

Sunderland earns return to English Premier League

Substitute Tom Watson scored a stoppage-time winner as Sunderland rallied to beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship playoff final and earn promotion to the Premier League.

Watson struck from the edge of the penalty area five minutes into injury time after Kieffer Moore gave the ball away, and then slid on his knees with his jersey off in celebration at Wembley Stadium.

Sunderland joins Leeds and Burnley in getting promoted from the second tier to the money-spinning top tier.

The playoff final is the most lucrative one-off match in world soccer, with Sunderland — last in the Premier League in 2017 — in line to get an estimated revenue uplift of around 200 million pounds ($260 million) in matchday, broadcast and commercial revenue.

Aberdeen stuns Celtic for Scottish Cup title

Aberdeen denied Celtic a triple crown of titles and secured its first Scottish Cup triumph in 35 years after an extra-time final at Hampden Park.

Bulgaria goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov starred by saving two penalties in a 4-3 shootout victory after a 1-1 draw.

Mitov saved the first spot kick from Callum McGregor and denied Alistair Johnston while Aberdeen’s players produced a perfect set of penalties.

Celtic goalie Kasper Schmeichel’s 83rd-minute blunder canceled an earlier own goal from Alfie Dorrington. Dorrington’s unfortunate own goal gave Celtic the lead six minutes before the end of a scrappy first half but Schmeichel made a mess of dealing with a cross and gave Aberdeen life in the game.

— From news services