While Canada and the United States duke it out for the gold medal, Sweden and Switzerland battled for the bronze in the women's hockey tournament. The two European nations played excellent tournaments and were both worthy of a medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Only one could take the medal back home unfortunately. The bronze medal contest was a back-and-forth affair, with the score knotted at 0-0 halfway through.
In the end, regulation wasn't enough, and 3-on-3 overtime was needed in this low-scoring affair. With an overtime goal from Swiss star Alina Muller, playing in her fourth Olympics, it was Switzerland that came out on top and took home the bronze. Sweden exits the tournament disappointed following a hard-fought loss. The Swiss captured their first medal at this event since the 2014 Games.
Alina Muller has been a star for Team Switzerland since the 2014 Olympics and she scored one of the biggest goals of her international career in this bronze-medal clash. As a 15-year-old, she busted onto the scene with Switzerland, and 12 years later she's still carrying the nation to victory.
Muller waited until the last possible moment to make her move. Nearly 10 minutes into the overtime period, Muller pounced on a loose puck and buried it behind the Swedish goalie and propelled Switzerland onto the podium for the first time in over a decade.
This game was defined by the goaltending battle that took place. Both Swedish netminder Ebba Svensson Traff and Swiss puck-stopper Andrea Braendli were at the top of their games.
Svensson Traff had a quietly terrific game. She wasn't often challenged, as Sweden dominated possession, but when called upon, she made tough saves and gave her team a great chance to win. One of her biggest saves came after a neutral zone giveaway during overtime. Swiss forward Laura Zimmerman was all alone and rifled a shot, but Svensson Traff closed the door on what should have been the game-winner for Switzerland. Ultimately, she couldn't make the final save, but she was the team's most valuable player.
Sweden launched 33 shots on goal on Braendli, but she was up to the challenge. She allowed just one goal, but there should have been several more pucks in the net. Instead, Braendli was the best player for Switzerland all game long, single-handedly backstopping the Swiss to a bronze medal.
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Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.
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