Czechia beats Canada 6-4 in world junior hockey to set up all-European final with Sweden

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Tomas Poletin scored on a deflection off his skate with 1:14 left and Czechia beat Canada 6-4 on Sunday night to advance to face Sweden in the first all-European world junior hockey final since 2016.

Earlier, Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden a 4-3 victory over Finland. The final is Monday night.

In the last all-European final, Finland beat Russia 4-3 in overtime in Helsinki in 2016. Czechia and Sweden are each trying to win their third title. Czechia won in 2000 and 2001, and Sweden in 1981 and 2012.

Poletin scored 1:27 after Porter Martone tied it for 20-time champion Canada.

“Obviously we wanted this win, because you heard them in the media,” said Vaclav Nestrasil, a Chicago first-rounder who plays at the University of Massachusetts. “They were chirping. ... We wanted to keep their ego down, and we did that. I think we were better.”

Czechia eliminated Canada for the third straight year. The Czechs beat the Canadians in the quarterfinals the previous two years.

“It’s the same feeling,” said Canadian star Gavin McKenna of Penn State, one of six returnees from last year. “Letting your country down sucks.”

Vojtech Cihar scored twice for Czechia, and Maxmilian Curran, Adam Titlbach and Adam Benak also scored. Michal Orsulak made 20 saves.

“We were a little more hungry,” Czechia coach Patrik Augusta said. “The guys just showed that they are a team. They showed a lot of character and a lot of will.”

Tij Iginla, Zayne Parekh and Cole Reschny added goals for Canada, and Jack Ivankovic stopped 31 shots.

“They’re down,” Canadian coach Dale Hunter said. “That’s hockey. Be a pro about it.”

Canada’s Michael Hage failed on a penalty shot with 1:56 left in second period after getting a second chance when Orsulak tripped him on the first try. The University of Michigan player — who earlier fired three shots off posts — tried the same move and lost control as he tried to move the puck to the right.

“I had an empty net, and he tripped me,” Hage said. “I just thought he bit so hard I’d try the same thing.”

Sweden avenged a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland in the semifinals last year in Ottawa, Ontario.

Frondell — drafted third overall by Chicago last summer — put a wrist shot through Petteri Rimpinen's pads after failing on his first two attempts in the tiebreaker. His first attempt hit both posts.

“I blacked out,” Frondell said. “It was an amazing feeling … happy the last one went in.”

Sweden survived a power play in the 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime after Viggo Bjork — who missed on three OT breakaways — was called for slashing with 2:03 left.

“This game, it was crazy, long game, tight, overtime, everything. Just one goal and then it’s over," Frondell said. "You love to play those games.”

Linus Eriksson, Ivar Stenberg and Eddie Genborg scored for Sweden in regulation, and Love Harenstam stopped 33 shots. Atte Joki, Japser Kuhta and and Joona Saarelainen countered for Finland. Rimpinen made 29 saves.

Saarelainen tied it at 3 from close range with 5:59 left in the third.

Finland and Canada will meet in the third-place game.

“Very tough, but doing it for Canada,” McKenna said about playing for bronze. “We’ve got to regroup to be ready.”

On Friday night in the quarterfinals, Finland beat the two-time defending champion United States 4-3 in overtime.

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Team Czechia players celebrate after defeating Canada in an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Czechia forward Tomas Poletin (18) celebrates his go ahead goal with teammates during the third period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game against Canada, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Czechia players celebrate their teams win during the third period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game against Canada, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Czechia forward Tomas Poletin celebrates his go ahead goal with teammates during the third period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game against Canada, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Canada defense Zayne Parekh, left, and Czechia forward Maxmilian Curran (12) exchange words during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Czechia's Adam Titlbach (22) shoots on Canada goaltender Jack Ivankovic during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Czechia's Adam Benak celebrates his goal with teammates Tomas Poletin (18) and Radim Mrtka during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Team Sweden players celebrate after Anton Frondell scored on Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) during overtime shoot-out in an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Team Sweden players celebrate after Anton Frondell scored on Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen during overtime shoot-out in an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Sweden's Anton Frondell celebrates after scoring on Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen during overtime shoot-out in a semifinal IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship game in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Sweden's Anton Frondell (16) scores on Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen during overtime shoot-out in an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Finland forward Atte Joki (35) celebrates his goal against Sweden during the first period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Sweden goalie Love Harenstam, left, defends the net as defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius, middle, and Finland forward Max Westergard compete for the puck during the first period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Sweden forward Eddie Genborg celebrates his goal against Finland during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Sweden goalie Love Harenstam defends his net against Finland during the first period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Sweden forward Ivar Stenberg, right, celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship semifinals game against Finland, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A judge has ruled an 18-year-old man charged with murder in the killing of a paddleboarder in Maine is competent to stand trial.

The death of Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, of St. George, last year shocked the community around Crawford Pond in rural Union, Maine. Authorities charged Deven Young of Frankfort, Maine, with murder in Stewart's death in July, about two weeks after Stewart's body was discovered.

The court system has thus far treated Young as a juvenile. Prosecutors in the state want to charge Young, who was 17 at the time of Stewart's death and is 18 now, as an adult. First, he needed to be deemed competent to stand trial, and a judge ruled this week that he is.

"The court finds that the defendant is competent to proceed based on the court’s finding that the juvenile has a rational, as well as a factual, understanding of the proceedings and a sufficient present ability to consult with legal counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding," wrote Maine District Court Judge Eric J. Walker on Wednesday.

Young is due back in court on May 7. Police have said a medical examiner determined Stewart's cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Jeremy Pratt, an attorney for Young, declined to comment on Thursday. Prosecutors in the case also declined to comment Thursday.

Authorities have not publicly stated a possible motive in the case. Court documents about the case, which were briefly made public before being removed from the state's courts website, contained little detail other than stating that Young “did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another human being, namely Sunshine Stewart.”

Audio recordings by the Waldo County Sheriff's Office that were obtained by news agencies earlier this year provided details about Young's history of violent behavior and mental health challenges prior to Stewart's death. The Portland Press Herald reported that Young had been waiting for behavioral health services from the state.

Stewart went missing at Crawford Pond, where she was paddleboarding, on July 2 and her body was found the next day. The pond is a popular summertime attraction for swimming, boating and fishing. Stewart lived about 21 miles (34 kilometers) from the pond in the Tenants Harbor neighborhood in St. George.

Stewart's friends and family celebrated her life with a maritime service last August. The memorial included a procession of boats, some decked out with flowers, in Tenants Harbor.

On the boats were pictures of Stewart smiling and a large sign that read, “Shine On.” Over the years, Stewart worked as a fisherman, boat captain, biologist, carpenter and bartender, friends have said.

FILE - Acquaintances of Sunshine Stewart sit on the bow of a lobster boat during a memorial service for the slain paddleboarder, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, off the coast of St. George, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)