Frondell Scores Twice as Unbeaten Sweden Dispatches Latvia 6-3 in World Junior Quarterfinal Juniorkronorna strike 10 seconds in, control the middle frames, and move on to the semifinals in Saint Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sweden stayed perfect at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship on Friday, using a fast start and a layered, balanced attack to beat Latvia 6-3 in Quarterfinal 1 at Grand Casino Arena.

Anton Frondell set the tone almost immediately. Ten seconds after the opening faceoff, Sweden established possession deep, kept the puck alive at the blue line, and Frondell got a stick on a point shot in front to open the scoring. The early marker gave Sweden control of pace and matchups, and it also pushed Frondell to five goals in the tournament, drawing him level with Tomas Chrenko (Slovakia) and Will Zellers (United States) atop the goal-scoring race.

Latvia did not fold. The Latvians created just enough zone time to earn a power play and tied the game at 13:07 of the first period when Kristers Ansons snapped a shot home from the left circle. For a few minutes, the underdogs had life and pushed back with their best stretch of the night.

Sweden answered before intermission. Lucas Pettersson worked the puck below the goal line and centered it to captain Jack Berglund at the top of the crease, and Berglund finished to restore the lead at 16:15.

The second period tilted the game. Sweden extended the lead on the power play when Sascha Boumedienne blasted a shot through traffic at 14:05, with Berglund again causing problems at the net front. Sweden made it 4-1 at 15:40 when Felix Carell converted from close range after sustained pressure and a quick recovery on a rebound sequence.

Frondell struck again early in the third, scoring at 1:58 off the rush to make it 5-1. Latvia responded quickly through Karlis Flugins, but Sweden kept the game out of reach, restoring the four-goal cushion when Leo Sahlin Wallenius fired a long shot through traffic at 15:54.

Latvia closed the scoring on a late power play, with Olivers Murnieks finishing at 18:10. Brunos Osmanis helped drive both Latvian power-play goals on the night.

Sweden finished with a 38-16 edge in shots. Love Harenstam started for Sweden, and Nils Maurins took the net for Latvia.

For Latvia, the loss ends another impressive run for a program that has made quarterfinals a regular destination, including four appearances in five World Juniors. Sweden, meanwhile, moves on still unbeaten and continues a long history of getting through this round, with the quarterfinal serving once again as a statement game rather than a stumbling block.