Skellefteå Steals Win With Late Penalty Shot Goal

Here's a look at Sunday's SDHL action:

In this battle between two of the league’s top teams, MoDo came out on top, despite being outshot 34-22. Lauren Bellefontaine and Ebba Hedqvist both scored twice for the victors while Emma Seitz added two assists. Frölunda dominated possession and shots in the third period, and were finally rewarded when Sydney Brodt potted her second goal of the season, but it was too little too late. MoDo’s Andrea Brändli made 33 saves for the win. With the victory, MoDo maintains second place in the standings. They remain four points behind league leaders Luleå. Both teams are back in action on Friday when MoDo meets red hot SDE and Frölunda faces Luleå.

SDE made short work of league weaklings Leksand on Sunday, outshooting them 45-14 en route to a shutout victory. The loss was Leksand’s tenth straight. SDE captain Mathea Fischer scored her first of the season in her second game back after a long absence due to injury. Lisa Johansson and Lotti Odnoga rounded out the scoring for the victors. SDE’s Lovisa Berndtsson made 14 saves for the clean sheet, her second shutout of the season. Berndtsson has played admirably in the absence of the team’s number one goalie, Kassidy Sauvé, who is out due to injury. Leksand’s lone bright spot, goaltender Emma Polusny, made 42 saves in the loss. Both teams play again on Friday, when Leksand meets Brynäs and SDE hosts MoDo.

Luleå put on an offensive display of force, scoring eight times on 40 shots to halt Linköping’s winning streak at three. Recently acquired import Sarah Bujold scored her first and second goals of the season and assisted on two others. Viivi Vainikka, who is looking more and more like an early round PWHL draft pick, pumped seven shots on goal and also tallied four points (two goals and two assists) while winning 67% of her faceoffs. Defender Erica Reider registered three assists and ended the evening a +5. Sara Hjalmarsson potted Linköping’s lone goal late in the third. Luleå have now won five of their last six games and remain at the top of the standings with 63 points, four ahead of MoDo. Linköping is off until January 22. Luleå faces Frölunda on Friday.

Ninth place HV71 woke up Sunday morning within striking distance of eighth place Skellefteå and the league’s final playoff spot. Indeed, only two points separated the teams, so a HV win paired with a Skellefteå loss would have massive implications on the standings. HV came out determined to climb the ladder and scored first when Teghan Inglis tallied her third of the season on an early HV power play. Eight minutes later, Brynäs’ leading scorer, Jenniina Nylund added a power play marker of her own to tie the game at one apiece. In the second period, Brynäs took the lead when Ana Brenkle’s shot beat Viktorie Svejdová for her sixth of the season. HV71 pressed for the equaliser, but could not solve Brynäs goalkeeper Ena Nystrøm. HV outshot Brynäs nine to seven in the final frame, but allowed two more goals, including Nylund’s second of the evening. HV could not muster any more offense and Brynäs won 4-1. Nystrøm made 21 saves for the win, Jenniina Nylund had two goals and an assist for three points, and Hanna Thuvik added three helpers. Both teams are back in action on Friday when HV meets Skellefteå and Brynäs faces Leksand.

In a thrilling, back and forth affair, Skellefteå came out on top on the strength of a fifty-seventh minute penalty shot goal. After nearly three full scoreless periods, Ellen Lövgren was hauled down on a partial break just inside Skellefteå’s zone. Lövgren was ice cold on the ensuing penalty, and whipped a wicked wrister past Djurgården’s Ida Boman to give her team the lead. The final minutes ticked down and Lövgren’s marker stood — Skellefteå won 1-0. Goalkeeper Camryn Drever made 19 saves for the shutout. The loss was Djurgården’s fourth straight. Skellefteå faces HV71 in an important battle for the league’s final playoff spot on Friday. Djurgården is off until January 22.