Double scorer: Dave Inherder’s artistic shot was rewarded with two goals.

Switzerland celebrates entry into World Cup semi-final

Switzerland has reached the semi-finals of the 5th IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Championships in Sursee. Daniel Pulver’s team beat Belgium 12:0 (7:0) in the Stadthalle. In addition to six-time goal scorer Jan Schäublin, Dave Inhelder also provided a highlight: the Iron Cats Zurich player managed the feat of scoring a goal with a T-stick that counted twice.

The Swiss World Cup party in Sursee continues. The locals also won their third tournament game. After the victories against world champions Italy (5:4) and Canada (14:0), the team of Daniel Pulver and assistant coach Raphaël Mathis beat Belgium 12:0. This puts the Swiss in the World Cup semi-finals early.

The Swiss powerchair hockey artists needed only 30 seconds against the world number six to take the lead. Top scorer Jan Schäublin completed the first offensive action of the hosts with the 1:0. After that, the favourites showed some remarkable combinations. The Belgians had no chance throughout the game.

Dave Inhelder’s feat

Dave Inhelder provided the emotional highlight of the game in the 35th minute: The Iron Cats Zurich player scored the 10:0 with a T-stick. To score a goal with the fixed stick mounted on the electric wheelchair is rare. In such a case, a goal counts twice – so Dave Inhelder provided the 10:0 and 11:0. “My team mate Dominik Zenhäusern and I rehearsed this combination in many training sessions. I knew exactly where to go at that moment. I am proud of this goal with which I was able to make my contribution to the victory,” said the 25-year-old employer of an assistant team in Zurich.

Dave Inhelder is taking part in a Powerchair Hockey World Championship for the fourth time after 2002, 2014 and 2018. It is the first time he has managed to score a goal at the highest level. Ahead of the final group match against top favourites the Netherlands (Friday, 1 p.m., Stadthalle Sursee), the St Gallen native says confidently: “We don’t care who is on the field. We want to win every game.”

Switzerland – Belgium 12:0 (7:0)

Stadthalle. – 300 spectators. – Ref Iotti (It)/Siiki (Fi)/Laakso (Fi). – Goals: 1st Schäublin 1:0. 5th Zenhäusern 2:0. 5th Zenhäusern 3:0. 6th Schäublin (Zenhäusern) 4:0. 7th Schäublin 5:0. 11th Braillard (Zenhäusern) 6:0. 14th Melder (Braillard) 7:0. 28th Schäublin 8:0. 31st Schäublin 9:0. 35th Inhelder (Zenhäusern) 10:0. 35th Inhelder (Zenhäusern) 11:0. 40th Schäublin 12:0.

Switzerland: Affolter; Schäublin, Spirig, Melder, Zenhäusern; Braillard, Conceição, Rolli, Inhelder.

Remarks: 34th Inhelder misses penalty.

Finland – Denmark 2:8 (1:4)

Stadthalle. – 100 spectators. – Referees Matijasevic (Slo)/Rosche (Sz)/Menz (De). – Goals: 5th Pedersen 0:1. 8th Pedersen 0:2. 13th Berenth 0:3. 14th Mursu (Vuorinen) 1:3. 18th Pedersen 1:4. 23rd Berenth (Richelsen) 1:5. 35th Berenth (Pedersen) 1:6. 37th Berenth (Pedersen) 1:7. 38th Ojala 2:7. 39th Berenth 2:8.

Netherlands – Italy 8:1 (2:1)

Stadthalle. – 100 spectators. – Referee Laakso (Fi)/Stormark (Dä)/Käch (Sz). – Goals: 11th Heere (Van den Boomen) 1:0. 12th Granzotto 1:1. 16th Heere 2:1. 31st Heere 3:1. 31st Van den Boomen 4:1. 33rd Van den Boomen 5:1. 33rd Van den Boomen 6:1. 38th Heere 7:1. 40th Heere 8:1.

Australia – Germany 3:9 (0:4)

Stadthalle. – 100 spectators. – Referees Virtanen (Fi)/Matijasevic (Slo)/Borgers (Ho). 2nd Treidy 0:1. 4th Busel 0:2. 16th Treidy 0:3. 20th Daniel Bauer (Sisik) 0:4. 21. Busel 0:5. 30. Watts 1:5. 30. Watts 2:5. 35. Huber 2:6. 37. Busel 2:7. 37. O’Keffe 3:7. 39. Treidy 3:8. 40. Daniel Bauer 3:9.

Finland – Spain 10:5 (4:2)

Stadthalle. – 100 spectators. – Referees Stormark (Dä)/Menz (De)/Käch (Sz). – Goals: 8th Mursu 1:0. 11th Badia Calm 1:1. 12th Ojala 2:1. 13th Ojala 3:1. 15th Badia Calm 3:2. 15th Ojala 4:2. 23rd Sanchez 4:3. 24th Sanchez 4:4. 25 Vuorinen 5:4. 26 Isometsä 6:4. 29 Badia Calm 6:5. 30 Vuorinen 7:5. 31 Vuorinen 8:5. 32 Vuorinen 9:5. 33 Isometsä 10:5.

Netherlands – Canada 31:1 (18:0)

Stadthalle. – 100 spectators. – Ref Imparato (It)/Vanhove (Bel)/Iotti (It). – Goals: 1. feller 1:0. 3. schell (feller) 2:0. 3. schell (feller) 3:0. 6. schell (feller) 4:0. 6. schell (feller) 5:0. 7. feller 6:0. 8. schell (feller) 7:0. 8. feller 8:0. 9. schell 9:0. 10. Van Zon (Feller) 10:0. 11th Feller 11:0. 13th Feller (Schell) 12:0. 14th Van der Heijden (Schell) 13:0. 16th Schell (Van der Heijden) 14:0. 17th Van der Heijden 15:0. 18th Van der Heijden (Van den Boomen) 16:0. 18th Van den Boomen 17:0. 20th Van den Boomen 18:0. 22nd Goudswaard 19:0. 22nd Goudswaard 20:0. 22nd Van der Heijden 21:0. 25th Van Kemenade (Van den Boomen) 22:0. 26th Van den Boomen (Penalty) 23:0. 27th Van den Boomen 24:0. 28th Van den Boomen 25:0. 36th Feller 26:0. 36th Feller (Heere) 27:0. 37th Feller (Heere) 28:0. 38th Goudswaard 29:0. 38th Goudswaard 30:0. 39th Ogho 30:1. 40th Feller 31:1.

Sursee (Sz). 5th IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Championship. Matchday 3. Group A: Netherlands – Italy 8:1 (2:1). Switzerland – Belgium 12:0 (7:0). Netherlands – Canada 31:1 (18:0). – Ranking: 1st Netherlands 3 games/6 points (60:2). 2. Switzerland 3 games/6 points (31:4). Netherlands and Switzerland qualified for the World Cup semi-finals. 3rd Italy 3/2. 4th Canada 2/0. 5th Belgium 3/0. – Group B: Finland – Denmark 2:8 (1:4). Australia – Germany 3:9 (0:4). Finland – Spain 10:5 (4:2). – The ranking: 1. Denmark 3 games/6 points. 2. Finland 3/4. 3. Spain 2/2. 4. Germany 3/2. 5. Australia 3/0.

Matches from Matchday 4 (Friday, 12 August). Group A: Italy – Canada (9.30). Switzerland – Netherlands (13.00). Canada – Belgium (16.30). – Group B: Spain – Germany (11.15). Australia – Finland (14.45). Denmark – Spain (18.15).