Emma Forsgren's Sweden didn't give Norway a chance.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Elin Granebrandt
Sweden, the favorite to win Group H of the women’s Olympic qualification on home ice in Gavle, got off to a solid start in its first game. The Swedes scored once in each period and beat Norway 3-0.
Lova Blom, Lisa Johansson, and Lina Ljungblom scored for Sweden, and goalie Emma Soderberg recorded an 11-save shutout. Ena Nystrom made 51 saves for Norway.
“I’m excited to play in Gavle. This rink has been my second home for a long time,” said blueliner Maja Nylen Persson in a Swedish TV interview. She was one of three PWHL players Sweden brought home to make sure the hosts will also play in the Olympics in 2026.
Sweden grabbed control of the game from the first shift on, and never let go, but Nystrom in Norway’s goal was excellent.
With a little less than six minutes into the first period, Blom climbed up the wall, cut to the middle and fired a wrister that beat Nystrom at 5:49. Nystrom shut out the Swedes for the rest of the period.
Shots on goal don’t always paint an accurate picture of a game, but in this instance they did. Sweden outshot Norway 20-1 in the first.
“It was a good period, but we need to score some goals, too. We need to stay patient,” said Sweden’s assistant coach Andreas Spangberg.
Patience paid off even though the Swedes only managed to score once in the second period as well. It came on the power play when Hilda Svensson found a net-driving Lisa Johansson and Johansson re-directed the puck into Norway’s goal to double Sweden’s lead at 16:06.
Ljungblom scored the third Swedish goal with 8:36 remaining in the third period when she fired a wrister off Sofie Lundin’s gorgeous cross-ice feed to seal the final score at 3-0.
"We know the importance of this tournament but we'll try to focus on what we have to do on the ice, and we're confident we can beat all these teams here," Ljungblom told Swedish TV.
"We'll take it one game at a time," added Soderberg.
On Friday, the Swedes will take on the Netherlands while Norway will play against Denmark.
Meanwhile, in the opening game, the Danes beat the Netherlands, 3-1
Maria Peters and Frederikke Foss scored for Denmark, Bieke Van Nes got the Netherlands' lone goal. Eline Gabriele made 23 saves for the Netherlands.
The Danes got the start they wanted, scoring early and twice. Julie Henriksen took advantage of a Dutch turnover in the neutral zone, carried the puck deep into the offensive zone and sent a saucer backhand pass towards the net. Maria Peters re-directed it in through Gabriele’s five-hole at 4.01.
The Netherlands had only three shots on goal in the first period, all of them on the power play, and while Julie Zwarthoed’s slapper did hit the crossbar, Emma-Sofie Nordstrom in Denmark’s goal had little trouble turning away the Dutch shots.
With four minutes remaining in the period, a strong Danish forecheck came up with the puck. Emma Russell found Sarah Stauning driving to the net. She spun around and fired a wrist shot which Frederikke Foss re-directed on net. Gabriele made the initial save, but Foss baned in the rebound to give the Danes a two-goal lead at 16.36.
The middle frame was almost complete Danish dominance. But as is often true in hockey, if you don’t bury your chances, the opponent will. And the Netherlands got their opportunity late in the period on the power play. A seemingly harmless shot surprised Nordstrom who left a rebound and Bieke Van Nes’s backhander hit the roof of the net, making it a one-goal game going into the third.
In the third period, the Netherlands pushed back, but a late penalty gave Denmark more breathing room. The Danes closed out the game with Lilli Friis-Hansen scoring an empty-netter with three seconds remaining.
Lova Blom, Lisa Johansson, and Lina Ljungblom scored for Sweden, and goalie Emma Soderberg recorded an 11-save shutout. Ena Nystrom made 51 saves for Norway.
“I’m excited to play in Gavle. This rink has been my second home for a long time,” said blueliner Maja Nylen Persson in a Swedish TV interview. She was one of three PWHL players Sweden brought home to make sure the hosts will also play in the Olympics in 2026.
Sweden grabbed control of the game from the first shift on, and never let go, but Nystrom in Norway’s goal was excellent.
With a little less than six minutes into the first period, Blom climbed up the wall, cut to the middle and fired a wrister that beat Nystrom at 5:49. Nystrom shut out the Swedes for the rest of the period.
Shots on goal don’t always paint an accurate picture of a game, but in this instance they did. Sweden outshot Norway 20-1 in the first.
“It was a good period, but we need to score some goals, too. We need to stay patient,” said Sweden’s assistant coach Andreas Spangberg.
Patience paid off even though the Swedes only managed to score once in the second period as well. It came on the power play when Hilda Svensson found a net-driving Lisa Johansson and Johansson re-directed the puck into Norway’s goal to double Sweden’s lead at 16:06.
Ljungblom scored the third Swedish goal with 8:36 remaining in the third period when she fired a wrister off Sofie Lundin’s gorgeous cross-ice feed to seal the final score at 3-0.
"We know the importance of this tournament but we'll try to focus on what we have to do on the ice, and we're confident we can beat all these teams here," Ljungblom told Swedish TV.
"We'll take it one game at a time," added Soderberg.
On Friday, the Swedes will take on the Netherlands while Norway will play against Denmark.
Meanwhile, in the opening game, the Danes beat the Netherlands, 3-1
Maria Peters and Frederikke Foss scored for Denmark, Bieke Van Nes got the Netherlands' lone goal. Eline Gabriele made 23 saves for the Netherlands.
The Danes got the start they wanted, scoring early and twice. Julie Henriksen took advantage of a Dutch turnover in the neutral zone, carried the puck deep into the offensive zone and sent a saucer backhand pass towards the net. Maria Peters re-directed it in through Gabriele’s five-hole at 4.01.
The Netherlands had only three shots on goal in the first period, all of them on the power play, and while Julie Zwarthoed’s slapper did hit the crossbar, Emma-Sofie Nordstrom in Denmark’s goal had little trouble turning away the Dutch shots.
With four minutes remaining in the period, a strong Danish forecheck came up with the puck. Emma Russell found Sarah Stauning driving to the net. She spun around and fired a wrist shot which Frederikke Foss re-directed on net. Gabriele made the initial save, but Foss baned in the rebound to give the Danes a two-goal lead at 16.36.
The middle frame was almost complete Danish dominance. But as is often true in hockey, if you don’t bury your chances, the opponent will. And the Netherlands got their opportunity late in the period on the power play. A seemingly harmless shot surprised Nordstrom who left a rebound and Bieke Van Nes’s backhander hit the roof of the net, making it a one-goal game going into the third.
In the third period, the Netherlands pushed back, but a late penalty gave Denmark more breathing room. The Danes closed out the game with Lilli Friis-Hansen scoring an empty-netter with three seconds remaining.