Sweden powered their way to victory today at the expense of France, which will now be demoted.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Matt Zambonin
Hanna Olsson scored two of her team’s three first-period goals--and four overall--to lead Sweden to an 8-2 win over France in the final game of Group B preliminary-round play. Olsson finished the game with seven points, and linemate Lina Ljungblom added two goals and five points of her own. Their third linemate, 16-year-old Hilda Svensson, also scored and had two assists, making 15 total points for the threesome.
"They are very skilled of course, but they also have the hockey sense, the hockey IQ, so they can be at the right place at the right time," said head coach Ulf Lundberg. "They're taking it to the net, and they are winning the puck back. It's really good so far. Hanna is a really good centre forward, working both ways. Lina, of course, has a good shot as she has shown a lot of times, but she is also hardworking, stick handling and so on. And Hilda with her hockey sense and hockey intelligence, finding solutions in every situation."
Four of Sweden's goals came on the power play.
The win solidifies Sweden’s third place in the group, resulting in a quarter-finals clash with Canada on Thursday. The loss leaves France with an 0-4 record, and the team will now play in Division I next year. The French played in the top level for the first time ever in 2019 and were demoted before earning another promotion last year.
"I think we've played better and better," Olsson said of her team's development in the preliminary round. "The start against Germany was not what we wanted, and it was a tough game against Finland. And today we scored a lot, which is great for our confidence. I think we can bring that to the quarter-finals. I'm really excited to play Canada here in Canada, probably a full house. And they're a really good team, skilled, high tempo and speed. It's going to be tough."
"We have a young team," offered France's captain, Lore Baudrit, one of the goalscorers. "Most of our players are here for the first time or don't have a lot of experience. And even those who do come here with a new role, as a leader for the first time. Our expectation was to play in the quarter-finals, and we didn't make it. It's tough. It was a tough tournament. Today, in the last period, we showed at what level we can play. It's too late, but even after the second period when we were losing 7-0, we said let's win the final period. And we did, 2-1. So we need to build on that. Now we see what level is played here. We will come back, I'm sure. My opinion is that you learn more, faster, when you lose."
France had a silver of a chance to avoid being sent down, but they’d have had to have defeated Sweden by several goals. Those aspirations were hampered by an early goal from Olsson who found a loose puck to the side of the goal and swiped it in at 6:49. Two and a half minutes later, Sweden went ahead by two on a power play. This time it was Sofie Lundin, who watched a point shot carom off the backboards right to her. She got a piece of the puck as it trickled in.
Olsson got her second at 18:27 off a turnover in the France end. Lina Ljungblom got the puck and fed Olsson, who whipped a high shot over the glove of Caroline Lambert to make it 3-0, essentially ending France’s dream of staying up.
Olsson and Co. continued their onslaught in the second. Number 26 made it a hat trick at 6:02 on another power-play blast, and Ljungblom got her first on a power play three minutes later. Moments earlier, Chloe Aurard raced up ice on a breakaway but fumbled the puck as she made a move in front of Soderberg.
If ever France was going to score, the midway mark was when it could have happened. They had a 5-on-3 for 1:27 but despite the extra skaters didn’t test Sweden’s defence to any great extent. Olsson got her fourth soon after, racing down the left wing and snapping a shot between Lambert’s pads.
Ljugblom then notched her second goal on a quick backhand in tight, and at 7-0 that spelled the end for Lambert, who was replaced by Margaux Mameri. Mameri had a stretch of goalless hockey until 16-year-old Hilda Svensson counted another power-play marker. Olsson drew an assist on this as well, her seventh point of the afternoon.
France finally connected for a goal midway through the third on a power play goal of their own. Manon le Scodan sent a beautiful pass through the slot to Jade Barbirati on the back side, and she snapped a low shot in at 8:43 to give the French fans something to cheer about.
Just 82 seconds later, they scored again, this coming off the stick of Baudrit, who swept a rebound in off an Estelle Duvin shot from the high slot to make it 8-2.
And that's how it ended. France goes home, and Sweden readies to do battle with the hosts.
"It's going to be hard, but I want to play against them," Ljungblom said of the Sweden-Canada game. "They're so skilled and fight for every puck. We need to be prepared, but it will be fun. But we have to play with confidence, or they will win the game before we start."
"They are very skilled of course, but they also have the hockey sense, the hockey IQ, so they can be at the right place at the right time," said head coach Ulf Lundberg. "They're taking it to the net, and they are winning the puck back. It's really good so far. Hanna is a really good centre forward, working both ways. Lina, of course, has a good shot as she has shown a lot of times, but she is also hardworking, stick handling and so on. And Hilda with her hockey sense and hockey intelligence, finding solutions in every situation."
Four of Sweden's goals came on the power play.
The win solidifies Sweden’s third place in the group, resulting in a quarter-finals clash with Canada on Thursday. The loss leaves France with an 0-4 record, and the team will now play in Division I next year. The French played in the top level for the first time ever in 2019 and were demoted before earning another promotion last year.
"I think we've played better and better," Olsson said of her team's development in the preliminary round. "The start against Germany was not what we wanted, and it was a tough game against Finland. And today we scored a lot, which is great for our confidence. I think we can bring that to the quarter-finals. I'm really excited to play Canada here in Canada, probably a full house. And they're a really good team, skilled, high tempo and speed. It's going to be tough."
"We have a young team," offered France's captain, Lore Baudrit, one of the goalscorers. "Most of our players are here for the first time or don't have a lot of experience. And even those who do come here with a new role, as a leader for the first time. Our expectation was to play in the quarter-finals, and we didn't make it. It's tough. It was a tough tournament. Today, in the last period, we showed at what level we can play. It's too late, but even after the second period when we were losing 7-0, we said let's win the final period. And we did, 2-1. So we need to build on that. Now we see what level is played here. We will come back, I'm sure. My opinion is that you learn more, faster, when you lose."
France had a silver of a chance to avoid being sent down, but they’d have had to have defeated Sweden by several goals. Those aspirations were hampered by an early goal from Olsson who found a loose puck to the side of the goal and swiped it in at 6:49. Two and a half minutes later, Sweden went ahead by two on a power play. This time it was Sofie Lundin, who watched a point shot carom off the backboards right to her. She got a piece of the puck as it trickled in.
Olsson got her second at 18:27 off a turnover in the France end. Lina Ljungblom got the puck and fed Olsson, who whipped a high shot over the glove of Caroline Lambert to make it 3-0, essentially ending France’s dream of staying up.
Olsson and Co. continued their onslaught in the second. Number 26 made it a hat trick at 6:02 on another power-play blast, and Ljungblom got her first on a power play three minutes later. Moments earlier, Chloe Aurard raced up ice on a breakaway but fumbled the puck as she made a move in front of Soderberg.
If ever France was going to score, the midway mark was when it could have happened. They had a 5-on-3 for 1:27 but despite the extra skaters didn’t test Sweden’s defence to any great extent. Olsson got her fourth soon after, racing down the left wing and snapping a shot between Lambert’s pads.
Ljugblom then notched her second goal on a quick backhand in tight, and at 7-0 that spelled the end for Lambert, who was replaced by Margaux Mameri. Mameri had a stretch of goalless hockey until 16-year-old Hilda Svensson counted another power-play marker. Olsson drew an assist on this as well, her seventh point of the afternoon.
France finally connected for a goal midway through the third on a power play goal of their own. Manon le Scodan sent a beautiful pass through the slot to Jade Barbirati on the back side, and she snapped a low shot in at 8:43 to give the French fans something to cheer about.
Just 82 seconds later, they scored again, this coming off the stick of Baudrit, who swept a rebound in off an Estelle Duvin shot from the high slot to make it 8-2.
And that's how it ended. France goes home, and Sweden readies to do battle with the hosts.
"It's going to be hard, but I want to play against them," Ljungblom said of the Sweden-Canada game. "They're so skilled and fight for every puck. We need to be prepared, but it will be fun. But we have to play with confidence, or they will win the game before we start."