Sweden makes it to the final
The match got off to an explosive start with a Swedish power play less than two minutes in when Molly Jordan took down Sweden’s Mira Jungaker in a breakout fashion.
“I was focused and ready to play today and even though we were maybe a little nervous at the beginning, we played a great game and started strong,” Jungaker said.
The USA killed the penalty and with less than three minutes remaining, Finley McCarthy won a puck battle along the boards behind Sweden’s net and found Lucia DiGirolamo in front of the net. She spun around and put the puck in, through Felicia Frank’s five-hole in 2.44.
Team USA took a one-goal lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, Team USA got into serious penalty trouble. Less than three minutes into the period, the Americans got a rare double minus two different fouls. Peyton Compton cross-checked a Swedish player in front of the USA bench and when a Swedish player went for the puck in their corner, Ava Lindsey was called for tripping.
That for Sweden 1.22 to cycle the puck to Jungaker at the tip. She stepped in and shot a wrist that carries Annelies Bergmann high on the glove side.
“I tried to make sure I was going to get my shots through the first American player so they wouldn’t get blocked, and I think it worked today,” Jungaker said.
Joy Dunne took a minor penalty for an illegal hit, and this time it was Sweden’s second power-play unit that took advantage, again, a shot from the point that beat Bergmann, this time low. It was Astrid Lindeberg – who led the team in the ice age – who found the nets.
The Americans’ penalty trouble wasn’t over, and Sweden got another 5-on-3 chance, at 39 seconds, but that one Team USA managed to kill.
However, power plays gave Sweden momentum and although the Americans found a new gear in the third period, and they showed great desperation, that was as close as they came to hitting a goal.
“Their goaltending was great, and their team got pucks deep. It was a good game, but unfortunately they came out on top,” said Team USA head coach Katie Lachapelle.
The hosts advance to the finals, Team USA plays for bronze.