Veterans Make the Difference on Friday in SDHL

Frölunda’s Seasoned Core Score Four Unanswered to Silence HV71, Nieminen’s Hat Trick Too Much for Brynäs Youngsters to Handle, Drever’s Heroics Sink MoDo, Elander Earns First Victory With SDE

Frölunda’s Seasoned Core Score Four Unanswered to Silence HV71, Nieminen’s Hat Trick Too Much for Brynäs Youngsters to Handle, Drever’s Heroics Sink MoDo, Elander Earns First Victory With SDE.

Frölunda 4 - HV71 3 OT

In a rematch of Wednesday’s game that saw Frölunda cruise to a 5-1 victory, HV came out firing on all cylinders. The team took an early 2-0 lead on the strength of goals from Julia Nearis and Elin Svensson. Early in the second frame, it was HV again, as Julia Nearis tallied her second of the night and sixth goal in 11 games. Frölunda looked flat early on, a far cry from the team that dominated the play on Wednesday night. As they have each been wont to do this season, HV allowed Frölunda back into the game, and Frölunda finally started scoring late in the second period. First, Ebba Westerlind tallied her first of the season to make it 3-1. Just over a minute later, on the power play, Elisa Holopainen scored to make it 3-2 for HV71 heading into the intermission. The goal was Holopainen’s thirteenth point in eleven games and her league-leading 24th point of the season. Frölunda, seemingly down and out, finally tied the game with three seconds remaining in the third period. With goalie Maja Helge pulled for an extra attacker, Sofie Lundin converted a Hanna Olsson pass to break HV’s hearts and send the game to overtime. In the extra frame, it was Lundin again on the power play completing the comeback as Frölunda scored four unanswered goals to take their second victory over HV in as many games.

Brynäs 2 - Luleå 4

Brynäs started the evening playing at pace, forechecking hard and forcing a handful of Luleå turnovers. The defending champions were unfazed, however, and continued to play their usual game of possession and well-organized attack. When they faltered, goalie Frida Axell, who boasted an almost laughable 0,88 goals against average prior to tonight’s game, was there to make the save. Luleå’s patience paid off when they opened the scoring with a power play goal late in the first period. Petra Nieminen received a pass from Akane Shiga deep in the zone, drove the net along the goal line and dangled before sliding the puck past Brynäs goalie Ena Nystrøm. Early in the second, it was Nieminen on the advantage again, this time stepping just over the goal line on the right side before tucking the puck five hole. Brynäs coach Filip Eriksson showed trust in his youngsters this game, giving the likes of 16-year-old Tilde Sundnäs Grillfors, 17-year-old Barbora Proskova and 18-year-old Anna Brenkle ample playing time in all situations. That they largely played well against the league’s top and most experienced team bodes well for Brynäs’ future. The kids are all right, but they cannot yet match the maturity and wisdom of Luleå’s stars. Brynäs put up an admirable fight, but eventually succumbed to Luleå’s superior firepower as Nieminen completed her hat trick early in the third and Viivi Vainikka added an insurance goal late. With the win, Luleå retains top place in the standings.

Brynäs meets Skellefteå in Gävle on Sunday, while a scheduling oddity gives Luleå fifteen days off before their next game, against Djurgården in Stockholm.

MoDo 2 - Skellefteå 3 SO

In this highly entertaining match between two northern rivals, MoDo struck first when former Syracuse University captain Lauren Bellefontaine scored near the midway point of the first period. Skellefteå, however, has played tenacious hockey all season — they hold on and fight until every whistle, and they seem to care very little about the pedigree of their opponent. They demonstrated that tenacity and grit again this evening, first tying the game 1-1 halfway through the second period, before they took the lead 2-1 on a Marah Wagner power play goal. MoDo pushed back, with their signature high octane, high pressure play and eventually tied the score at two, courtesy of Lovisa Engström. MoDo had multiple chances to win it late, including on a power play with 58 seconds remaining in the game, but could not convert and the game went to overtime. In a back-and-forth extra frame, MoDo created the lion’s share of the scoring chances but Skellefteå goaltender Camryn Drever stood tall and calmly denied everything that came her way, sending the game to a shootout. Drever’s heroics proved decisive, as she denied four of five shots faced, and teammates Ellen Lövgren and Marah Wagner converted to give Skellefteå a hard-fought 3-2 win. MoDo is off until Wednesday when they face Linköping away. Skellefteå plays Sunday at Brynäs in Gävle.

SDE 2 - Linköping 1

SDE, playing their first game since a head coaching change that saw Swedish coaching legend Peter Elander replace rookie head coach Emelie O’Konor, came charging out of the gates and managed two goals early. First, Ella Planting-Bergloo converted an Emma Bergesen pass on the power play for her first of the season. Less than a minute later, Mimmi Gill beat Ebba Svensson Träff again to make it 2-0. Linköping had multiple quality chances, a handful produced during a push late in the third period with Svensson Träff pulled for an extra attacker. With 29 seconds remaining in the game, Linköping’s Ann-Frédérique Guay scored, batting a rebound out of mid air to spoil Kassidy Sauvé’s shutout bid. The goal would prove too little too late, as SDE went on to win 2-1, giving Elander his first victory for the club in his very first game.

SDE meets Djurgården on Sunday, while Linköping faces Leksand away.

Leksand 4 - Djurgården 1

Leksand battled their way to victory on Friday evening, courtesy of the strong play of goalie Emma Polusny and forwards Hilda Ljungberg and Saga Tynell-Nissas. Following a scoreless first period, Leksand’s Ljungberg got on the scoresheet early in the second to make it 1-0 for the home team. Leksand held the lead for ten minutes before surrendering a goal to Djurgården’s Linnea Adelbertsson, her first of the season. In the third period, Tynell-Nissas went to work and scored twice, first on the power play, and later at even strength. Both goals were rather snazzy — the first saw her dangle a rebound on the doorstep before shooting it past DIF keeper Lia Leiderö Palmlöv, and the second was notched on a breakaway. Ljungberg added another late to give Leksand the 4-1. Polusny made 31 saves on 32 shots for a 96.88 save percentage.

Leksand plays Linköping on Sunday while Djurgården meets SDE.