Forwards Isabelle Leijonhielm and Hilda Svensson stepped up on Saturday with two goals and an assist apiece. Captain Ebba Hedqvist also shone with a goal and three assists. Mira Hallin and Jenna Raunio had two helpers apiece.
"It was very fun to start off like this with a win, and a big win," said Leijonhielm.
Elisa Dalessi had the lone Swiss goal.
Sweden’s Maja Helge won her goalie duel with Switzerland’s Talia Benderer. Shots were 38-25 for the dominant blue-and-yellow squad, which notched three power-play goals.
Coach Andreas Karlsson’s Swedish roster features 11 returning players from the squad that won a surprising silver medal on home ice in Ostersund last year. That experience was beneficial against the Swiss, who have never finished higher than sixth (2019).
"I think it very much helps that we have so many players from last year," said Leijonhielm. "We are a big group and everyone loves each other. It's good to have a great team on and off the ice."
"We're so happy to have the tournament here and we were ready," Swiss coach Melanie Haefliger said. "But we also know that it's a new situation for the young girls. With three goals [against] in three minutes, it was very hard to keep the momentum and the energy up in the team. We tried to get back and we had a lot of good chances also with breakaways and a penalty shot."
Outside the Zug arena, it was chilly and rainy, but the early enthusiasm of the cowbell-ringing Swiss fans inside provided a warm contrast. This lakeside city of 30,000 has previously co-hosted one IIHF tournament – the 2015 men’s U18 Worlds – with Lucerne.
Both teams had first-period chances. Hedqvist – a third-time U18 Women’s Worlds participant – sprang Hallin for a solo break where the puck went over the cross bar. At the other end, Helge alertly stymied Swiss captain Naemi Herzig with the blocker on a chance from the slot.
Switzerland paid the price after taking consecutive minor penalties. The Swedes drew first blood on the power play at 15:34. Benderer foiled Hedqvist in tight with a right pad save, but Leijonhielm banged in the rebound.
At 17:00, Hedqvist tipped in Hallin's low shot for a 2-0 lead. Hilda Svensson, the 2023 SDHL rookie of the year with HV71, found Leijonhielm back door for Sweden's third goal just a minute later. First-period shots favoured Sweden 12-5.
The Swiss picked up their game in the middle frame. During their first power play with Ella Hellman off for tripping, an intense flurry around Helge's net yielded a penalty shot after defender Nellie Svensson got caught closing her hand on the puck. However, Ivana Wey's forehand attempt was turned away by Helge.
That was Switzerland's last real opportunity to get back into it.
At 7:45, Hallin made it 4-0. Stealing the puck inside the offensive blue line, the MoDo Hockey forward dipsy-doodled past Swiss blueliner Miriani Bottoni and knifed a backhander through Benderer.
The third period saw Herzig denied on a first-minute breakaway. Later, her frustration continued as she rang one off the inside of the post.
Leijonhielm praised her netminder: "Maja's so good in the net. She's so calm, and the players on the ice feel safe with Maja back there."
At 4:47, Hilda Svensson put Sweden up 5-0 with a power-play shot that trickled in after Benderer got a piece but not enough of it.
With under seven minutes to play, Switzerland's Leoni Balzer was shaken up on a run-in with Linnea Natt och Dag. After a review, the Djurgarden blueliner received a roughing minor, and Dalessi finally gave the crowd a reason to cheer with a power play goal with 3:18 left.
"That was really good because at least when you are losing 5-0 you just try to score at least one or two goals," Dalessi said. "It was exciting because being at home, all the people here were for us so they cheered."
Hilda Svensson restored Sweden's five-goal gap on the power play with 1:08 remaining.
Both sides get Sunday off. On Monday, the Swedes face Slovakia, while Switzerland will try for its first win against the U.S., the 2023 bronze medalists.
"We know that the Americans are a big wall for us, but we'll take this chance," said Haefliger. "It's maybe the first time in a long time that Switzerland will play against the U.S. So we know that will be a big game for our girls. We want to learn something and take the game step by step."
There’s no mixing up Sweden and Switzerland when it comes to the U18 Women’s Worlds. The Swedes have owned this rivalry. This was their seventh straight win dating back to the original Calgary tournament in 2008.
While overall goal difference favours Sweden heavily (23-4), the Swiss have closed the gap a bit. The final scores at the 2019 and 2020 tournaments were only 2-0 and 2-1 respectively.
In a pre-game ceremony, IIHF Council Member Marta Zawadzka and former Swiss national team player Kathrin Lehmann, the head of the local organizing committee, declared the tournament officially open.
The Zug hockey vibe is strong overall right now. Longtime national team captain Lara Stalder, who spent six years tearing up the SDHL, has come back to help EVZ Zug’s new women’s team secure promotion, and they’re dominating with a 12-0 record this season. Meanwhile, Zug’s men’s team sits third in the Swiss NL.
With the U18 Women’s Worlds rolling on through 14 January, there will be plenty more for fans to cheer about.
