Week two of the SDHL season is set to drop the puck, but there are already teams finding themselves without top players due to injury or suspension.
Week two of the SDHL season is set to drop the puck, but there are already teams finding themselves without top players due to injury or suspension.
Week 2 of the SDHL season has arrived with nine games set to be played in the coming days. Here is a preview of the Thursday and Friday matchups.
Thursday, September 19
Djurgården vs Linköping
Djurgården is set to host a hobbled Linköping on Thursday night. Linköping, sporting a 1-1 record after the season’s opening weekend, is dealing with a slew of early season injuries. Some big names, including recent acquisitions Ann-Frédérique Guay, Emmy Alasalmi and Eve Savander are sidelined. Look for Japanese national team mainstay Ayaka Hitosato and SDHL veteran Lindsay Agnew to play big minutes on the back end, while promising youngster Olivia Sohrner could also step in on the power play. On offense, captain Sara Hjalmarsson, playmaker Haruka Toko, and young gun Lova Blom will be expected to do the heavy lifting.
Djurgården, though winless, has played two close games this season, losing each contest by only one goal. The team has scored a total of three goals on 37 shots, and will need to find a way to get more pucks on net against Linköping. Promising young forward Isabelle Leijonhielm has the opportunity to become a solid contributor for DIF in her sophomore SDHL season, after an impressive showing at the U18 World Championships for Sweden.
Friday, September 20
Brynäs vs SDE
Brynäs will be without one of their best offensive players, forward Hanna Thuvik, who has been suspended for two games following her boarding penalty late in Sunday’s game against Frölunda. Brynäs, however, is not a one-trick pony on the attack, and has seven goals by seven different scorers to start the season. Look for the team to buckle down on defense after a disorganized showing on Sunday that saw them give up far too many scoring chances from the slot.
SDE will be looking to bounce back after an uneven performance in their loss to Leksand on Sunday. Though SDE showed flashes of brilliance at times, it was Leksand that was able to convert, on the strength of an outstanding performance by Finnish sparkplug Kiira Yrjänen. SDE has all of the tools to make waves in the league this season, with a slew of talented new acquisitions including goaltenders Kassidy Sauvé and Lovisa Berndtsson, defenders Emma Bergesen and Dominique Kremer, and forwards Emily Nix and Lisa Johansson — still an offensive threat in this, her 18th season in the Swedish top league.
MoDo vs Leksand
MoDo will play its home opener on Saturday night in Örnsköldsvik, fresh off two wins in two games to start the season. The team lost last season’s SDHL MVP Lina Ljungblom in the offseason, as the 22-year-old signed a three-year contract with the PWHL’s Montréal Victoire in June. Players of Ljungblom’s caliber are not easy to replace, but this season’s MoDo features a balanced roster that can score off the cycle, or from the blue line. Look for young Ebba Hedqvist to continue her hot start, as she matures into a bigger role this season.
Leksand split its home-and-away series with SDE last weekend, getting shut out in the first game before finding the twine four times and winning game two 4-1. Lillian George, having arrived in Leksand following an excellent career at the University of New Brunswick, will look to grab her first SDHL points in Övik as her team hopes to stick to their winning ways.
Luleå vs HV71
In a game that has the potential to be a lopsided affair, HV will have to do its best to generate offense and limit Luleå chances. Newly signed American forward Julia Nearis, who the team will rely on to bring offensive punch this season, will not suit up on Friday due to her late arrival in Sweden. If Luleå’s myriad of scoring threats, including Emma Nordin, Petra Nieminen, Viivi Vainikka and Jaycee Magwood are clicking, watch out. Despite having lost defender Daniela Pejsova and dynamic scorer Noora Tulus to the PWHL, Luleå is a big, deep team that may very well overpower a revamped HV71 squad that is also dealing with injuries. HV showed some fight in their Saturday matchup, peppering MoDo’s net with 28 shots, scoring twice. If the team can begin to gel and create more chances on the powerplay, they just might play the spoilers.
Skellefteå - Frölunda
Skellefteå, fresh off their first-ever SDHL win will be in tough against a hungry Frölunda, who are projected to be a gold medal contender this season. With the addition of prolific scorer Elisa Holopainen from Finland’s KalPa, the return of last season’s top scorer Michelle Karvinen, and welcoming back a healthy Hanna Olsson, Frölunda has a wealth of offensive weapons. What may give Skellefteå a fighting chance is Frölunda’s tendency to let their foot off the gas, as they did at various points in their first two games. Despite dominating possession in their most recent contest, Frölunda allowed Brynäs to come back from a 2-0 deficit before buckling down and eventually winning the game 5-3. If Skellefteå can take advantage of such lapses, and continue to work the puck through Sini Karjalainen on the power play, they could earn the upset win.
Sunday, September 22
On Sunday, MoDo will face SDE, Luleå plays Frölunda, Skellefteå takes on HV71, and Brynäs will play Leksand.