A recap of the action from January 11, 2025, day three of the IIHF U18 Women's World Championship in Sydney and Membertou, Nova Scotia.
Sweden 3, Switzerland 0
Sweden controlled possession in this game and scored early, which left Switzerland playing catch up. For a team that's struggling to do much of anything offensively, that's a tough place to be.
For the Swedes, it was a good reset. Coach Anders Karlsson didn't love his team's performance out of the gate even though they got the win. But a day off gave them a chance to reset a bit and they came out as the disciplined, fast and physical team we know they can be. They were kept moderately in chcek by Norina Schrupkowski in net and a great effort from the Swiss defense and probably need to be a bit more focused on shot quality and breaking through - three goals might not cut it outside of group play.
The third Sweden goal was really indicative of how comfortable the team got in this game. They won a faceoff to the left of the goalie and quickly moved the puck across the top of the circles where Elsa Blårand had a ton of open ice. Her rocket to the net front went off Ebba Hesselvall and into the net. Using the open ice, putting bodies in front and targeting the goal mouth are all things that should serve them well as they head for a faceoff with Canada on Tuesday night.
Switzerland had some opportunities, but seemed to forget what to do with themselves on offense a bit. Their youth and inexperience showed with how easily they fired non-threatening shots on net, effectively turning the puck over and squandering their time in the zone. They were too quick to just shoot and need to learn to take a deep breath and make better choices with the puck. It's a fine line between slowing down that you lose all time and space and making decisions too quickly and they haven't found it.
Next up: Sweden faces Canada on Tuesday at 5 PM local time, 4 PM eastern time. Switzerland plays Hungary on Tuesday at 8:30 PM local time, 7:30 PM eastern time.
What We Learned:
- Size and strength – If felt like Sweden won every loose puck battle and it looked like they were doing it by being stronger on their sticks. They simply had the power and muscle to follow through each clash, keep their stick on the ice and come away with the puck. There's obviously a lot of different things at play, but I don't think it's wrong to say that the more physical play allowed in the SDHL requires players to do more work off the ice. Their strength was apparent throughout the game as they won board battles and angled the Swiss off the puck, but I think it was the way they skated away with basically every loose puck that really highlighted for me a big gap between these two rosters.
- Defensive steps – Despite Sweden holding possession for most of this game, Switzerland gave up just three goals. Norina Schrupkowski was outstanding again in net and the way she talked in the mixed zone, she's a little upset she couldn't win the game for her team. They still have to figure out the offensive side of things, but in year's past this game would likely have gone very different. I liked how Switzerland were disciplined on defense and didn't stop trying to clog up the middle.
Standout Performances:
- Sweden D Elsa Blårand – The 15-year-old is already starting games with Linköping and her play on Monday showed why. I like how active she is on offense while not giving up space on defense. She plays like she doesn't know she's one of the youngest people on the ice. The third goal came on a set play that put the puck on her stick with a clear shot at net and she executed with a rocket that went off Ebba Westerlind and in. Also, she appears to also play for the Swedish junior national soccer team (I promise I'll ask about this tomorrow).
- Switzerland F Luana Birnstiel – That's her laid out to try and block a shot right in front of the net in the picture up top and it's indicative of how the Swiss played this game on defense. I liked the effort, I liked that she was attempting to get the puck to net and I liked that I noticed her on the ice nearly every time she stepped on it.
Quotable:
"I think we played very well. Two days ago we talked about consistency and today they had a lot of consistency." - Sweden coach Andreas Karlsson
"If you play humble and work together and take quick shifts - the effort was very good." - Karlsson
"We need to attack the net. We need to go they want to go low to high and high to low and attack." - Karlsson
"We came out really strong. We thought it was important to start well, so we’re happy with how we played, especially the first period when we scored two goals." - Sweden F Ebba Hesselvall
"We will need to keep Canada to the outside so they can't go in for shots." - Hesselvall
"Games at the world championships are more back and forth and fast, but games in the SDHL are more physical than the games here." - Hesselvall
"It was a really difficult game for us because we know how strong Sweden is. We wanted to win and we prepared really well, so to lose is really hard to accept. It’s upsetting, but I know we will get better." - Switzerland G, Nornia Schrupkowski
"They had a strong start, and we weren’t ready right from the start. We also took too many penalties, which helped Sweden and didn’t allow us to get any momentum. Next game we have to be ready right from the start." - Schrupkowski
"We had some difficulties in creating offensive chances. We have to work hard to get rebounds and shots on goal. We aren't having enough shots." - Switzerland assitant coach Patrick Gerber
"It was a difficult start. They played us like we were expecting them to play. We played them in an exhibition game [before the tournament] and we were very close so we were ready." - Gerber
Canada 14, Hungary 0
Megan Mossey scored two minutes into the game and Canada never really stopped scoring after that. Both Adrianna Milani and Hayley McDonald tallied hat tricks while Mossey added two goals and two assists and Sofia Ismael had a goal and three assists. In all, seventeen of 25 players on Canada's roster registered a point in this game while Rowan Houweling earned a shutout and made 11 saves in her international debut.
The Canadians have started the tournament with what was likely to be their two easiest games and they've scored 23 goals, but there's been plenty that coach Vicky Sunohara has seen in her team that needs to be cleaned up. That's not to stomp on the accomplishment of their two wins, but these two games haven't been an ideal set up for young players. It's difficult to stay focused and play smart, clean hockey in these situations and Sunhara worries that her players are dropping some of the details and not learning the habits they'll need to lean on in tougher games.
For their part, Hungary had some offensive opportunities and there is learning to be had in a game against a top team, but I'd imagine at least part of their thought process was about surviving Monday's game with enough energy to take on Switzerland on Tuesday. The winner of that game will likely face Czechia in the quarterfinals while the loser while face the US and have the lower seed. The two losing teams from the quarterfinals with the lowest seeding will face off in the relegation game.
It's been the standard for awhile that the newly promoted team heads right back down to D1A following their one year at the top level. Hungary is hoping to avoid that fate. Their poise and determination and grit in this game bodes well for them, but I'd like to see them score more in their next game to feel better about their chances.
Next up: Canada plays Sweden on Tuesday at 5 PM local time, 4 PM eastern time. Hungary faces Switzerland on Tuesday at 8:30 PM local time, 7:30 PM eastern time.
What We Learned:
- Points aplenty – With Adrianna Milani and Hayley McDonald each notching hat tricks for Canada on Monday night, there have now been six hatties through eight games played. Canada was spreading the wealth all around with 17 players tallying at least a point in the win over Hungary.
- Hungarian heart – It always feels a little condescending to talk about small wins in blowout games like this, but I still think it's important to acknowledge that Hungary played a full 60 minutes in this game like the score was 0-0. They didn't hang their heads as the score rose, they didn't get sloppier or more out of system. They played the game they wanted to play and I think that's a massive lesson for a program that returns to this level for the first time in more than a decade.
- Commitment pays off - Hungary coach Zoltan Fodor told me postgame that his the Hungarian federation made a commiment post-Covid to put more development in with this age group. They saw they had a generation of promising players and didn't want to let them be passed by. That paid off last season when they won the D1A tournament on home soil in convincing fashion. It's more proof how important buy in and resources from a federation are - this team made it pay off almost immediately. Petra Polónyi said these games are being televised in Hungary and I hope the team gets the recognition they deserve and not the same sexist drivel we're used to. I hope the federation and fans can see past the scoreboard here to what a massive accomplishment it is for this team to make this tournament and play the way they did against the reigning gold medalists.
Standout Performances:
- Canada F Madison Lévesque – The fourth-liner is getting slightly less time on ice than some of the older players, but she showed up big time last night, particularly on a gorgeous pass to set up Milani's third goal and then scoring herself later in the game. It's not easy to stand out on a team like this, but she's a bright spot. Lévesque was not on the summer series rosters against the US, but earned her spot on this team after an outstanding performance at the U18 Canadian National Championships, where she scored the overtime game winner for Quebec.
- Hungary F Petra Polónyi – I usually try to pick someone that wasn't selected as the Best Player during the game, but I'd already requested an interview with her for after the game before those awards were handed out so I'm sticking with my pick. In a game where Hungary did not muster much in the way off offense, Polónyi was focused on getting the puck to net and trying to get something going for her team. I appreciated her tenacity and drive.
"We played against the best team in the world. We tried our best, and we competed for the full 60 minutes...This is really good for our program and Hungarian women's hockey. Year after year we try to push our limit and take the next step. This game showed us how the best team is playing. That was the best resistance we can get." - Hungary coach Zoltan Fodor
"I think we played a really solid game, and we weren't just defending in front of our hour. We tried to use our skills to play as well as possible." - Fodor
"It's really improtant that we came here and we made it last year. We worked so far for this. Canada, they're a super team. They've been here forever and we just got here. I think it's a privilege to be here and to play against teams like them." - Hungary F Petra Polónyi
"It was very hard and frustrating because you could feel them coming and they're on you and you don't really have time to decided what to do. I had a couple of chances, which was great but looking back I think I did what I could." - Polónyi
"I'm really proud of my team. We stayed strong. We didn't really care about the score. We just played and shift after shift we just tried our best. I think that's what really matters." - Polónyi
"There were many positives, but we were a little bit disappointed with some of the scoring chances that we gave up, and we felt like it was maybe a lack of focus, not changing, or not tracking back. So we've got to clean that up." - Canada coach Vicky Sunohara
"We've been focusing a little bit on our defensive play and we want to be a little bit sharper - well we have to be sharper tomorrow." - Sunohara
"They never gave up. We're fortunate that we have solid goaltending because if a couple of those goals in early, it could change the course of the game. They never gave up. They had some good chances. They created chances. I was pretty impressed with their work ethic. They didn't stop for 60 minutes." - Sunohara
"She never quits. She's a tough kid. She's not the biggest kid, but she'll go into any battle and she competes. She competes every shift." - Sunohara on Levesque
“As a team, we have talked a lot about sticking to our habits and taking short shifts, so really paying attention to those details will allow us to be successful in the long run." - Canada F Adrianna Milani
"I had some pretty good linemates setting me up tonight. Having the ability to play with some amazing players on this team has allowed me to do what I have been able to do." - Milani
"Our coaches and staff have picked a really awesome roster, so having four lines coming at the opponent all the time will really help us.” - Milani
(Photos: Nicole Haase)
