Adéla Šapovalivová's assist is her 14th point in 10 games; Karvinen once again the difference maker for Frölunda; Vorster tallies three assists in rare Leksand win; Brynäs snaps losing streak
Adéla Šapovalivová's assist is her 14th point in 10 games; Karvinen once again the difference maker for Frölunda; Vorster tallies three assists in rare Leksand win; Brynäs snaps losing streak
Adéla Šapovalivová's assist is her 14th point in 10 games; Karvinen once again the difference maker for Frölunda; Vorster tallies three assists in rare Leksand win; Brynäs snaps losing streak.
Here's a look at Sunday's SDHL action:
Frölunda 3 - SDE 2 SO
An evenly played first period that saw each team produce over a dozen shots but no goals. SDE goaltender Kassidy Sauvé lived up to her name and saved everything that came her way, and Frölunda tender Stephanie Neatby responded in kind. Frölunda’s offense came alive in the second period, led by the line of Elisa Holopainen, Sofie Lundin and Emilia Vesa. First, Holopainen scored her 13th of the season on a nice shot from the slot. Frölunda peppered Sauvé with 23 shots in the middle frame alone, but could not score another until very late in the period, when Sofie Lundin pounced on a rebound to make it 2-0. SDE came out in the third determined to turn things around, and dominated both puck possession and scoring chances. Defender Dominique Kremer finally got one past Neatby with just over two minutes remaining in the game. SDE pulled Sauvé for an extra attacker shortly thereafter. The gambit paid off, as Gabriela Jones tied the game when she shovelled in a rebound off a goal mouth scramble. Overtime solved nothing and the game went to a shootout. Frölunda goalie Neatby was perfect, stopping all three shots that came her way, and Michelle Karvinen was Michelle Karvinen as she scored a beauty past Sauvé to salvage the win, 3-2 for FHC.
Frölunda meets Brynäs on Friday. SDE is off until December 6 when they meet MoDo in Örnsköldsvik.
HV71 2 - Leksand 4
Viktorie Svejdova got her second straight start between the pipes for HV, but struggled early and allowed two goals on only five shots in the first period. HV71 clawed their way in the second period, as Jenna Raunio scored to cut the deficit in half, and teammate Klara Seroiszkova added another to tie the game at two. Leksand retook the lead minutes later on a Hilda Ljungberg power play marker and Saga Tynell Nissas added an empty netter in the third to give Leksand a 4-2 victory. Leksand defender Courtney Vorster registered three assists. HV has now lost six straight games; their last win was October 27 against Skellefteå. Prior to the match, fans and players honoured HV71 star forward Sanni Hakala, who sustained a devastating spinal cord injury during a game one year ago, on November 24, 2023.
HV71 plays MoDo on Friday. Leksand is off until December 6.
Djurgården 1 - MoDo 2
Despite another excellent game by DIF goaltender Ida Boman, MoDo took home a 2-1 win on the road against Djurgården. Emma Seitz opened the scoring for MoDo on a beautiful play. Receiving the puck in her own end, Seitz powered down the ice, dangled a DIF defender as she entered the zone, and slid a pass to teammate Adéla Šapovalivová. Displaying the hands and game sense that make her one of the SDHL’s most exciting young players, Šapovalivová timed a perfect pass back and Seitz scored to make it 1-0. DIF tied it up in the second frame with a highlight reel goal of their own, as Linnea Adelbertsson drove wide around a defender before going in alone and sniping on MoDo keeper Andrea Brändli. Halfway through the third period, MoDo’s Moa Johannesson scored the eventual game winner when she took advantage of a bad defensive lapse by DIF. Finding herself completely alone in the slot with the puck on her stick, she took what the Hockey Gods gave her, and scored on a backhand. With the win, MoDo secured another three points in the standings, and kept ahead of third place Frölunda by one point.
Djurgården plays Luleå in the sole game next Sunday. MoDo meets HV71 on Friday.
Linköping 4 - Brynäs 5 OT
In an important matchup between two teams separated by very few points in the standings, Linköping jumped out to an early lead. Both goals were scored by Felicia Levin on the power play, and both were the result of chances generated by Emmi Alasalmi’s howitzer of a slap shot from the point. First, Levin was the beneficiary of a lucky bounce of the boards, and fired the puck into a nearly empty net behind Brynäs keeper Ena Nystrøm. Next, Levin jumped on a rebound generated by another Alasalmi slap shot and scored glove side again. Despite outshooting LHC 14-6 in the opening frame, Brynäs went to the dressing room down 2-0. In the second period, Brynäs fought back. First, Jenniina Nylund scored her team-leading 12th of the season on a pretty play down low. Next, Jenny Antonsson walked through a seam on the right side to grab a LHC turnover and fired the puck past Linköping goalie Ebba Svensson Träff to tie the game at two apiece. Brynäs took the lead with less than two minutes remaining in the period on a similar play, this time shorthanded. Forechecking deep in the LHC zone, Brynäs forced a turnover, Antonsson passed to Annie Silén and Silén scored. The lead was relinquished only 30 seconds later when LHC’s Ayaka Hitosato scored on the power play to make it a 3-3 game heading into the final period. The teams traded goals again in the third and needed overtime to decide things. In the extra frame, Sanni Vanhanen went in alone on Svensson Träff and squeaked the puck through her five hole to win the game 5-4 for Brynäs. The win ended Brynäs’ losing streak at three, but they remain one point behind Linköping in the standings with a game in hand.
Both teams are back in action on Friday when Linköping plays Skellefteå and Brynäs meets Frölunda.