Damkronorna Triumph Over Czech Republic but Fall to Switzerland in Ängelholm

In the ongoing Euro Hockey Tour hosted at Catena Arena in Ängelholm, the Swedish women's national ice hockey team, Damkronorna, showcased strong performances with a notable win against the Czech Republic and a narrow, heartbreaking loss to Switzerland in a penalty shootout.

On November 7, Damkronorna secured a 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic. After a scoreless first period, Ida Karlsson opened the scoring in the second period. The Czechs equalized through Vendula Pribylova, but Sweden regained control early in the third period when Linnéa Andersson, praised for her speed and effort by expert Maria Rooth, intercepted the puck and assisted Hilda Svensson, who then set up Mira Hallin for a power-play goal. The victory was sealed by Nicole Hall’s empty-net goal. Goalkeeper Ebba Svensson Träff was pivotal, stopping 28 of 29 shots, contributing significantly to the win. Andersson highlighted the team's determination to regain momentum after a slow start (ID 134364).

However, Damkronorna’s fortunes changed in their following match against Switzerland. Despite dominating the game with 35 shots to Switzerland’s 14 and controlling most scoring chances, Sweden could not convert their advantages. Thea Johansson’s goal in the second period was matched late by Leoni Balzer for Switzerland, taking the game into a scoreless overtime. The match culminated in a penalty shootout, where Switzerland’s Lena Marie Lutz scored the decisive goal after an extended series of misses, leaving Sweden frustrated. Expert Maria Rooth criticized Sweden's inability to close matches, stating, "Sweden is so much better, but still loses." Ida Karlsson echoed this frustration, noting the team’s drop to Switzerland’s tempo despite creating more chances. This shootout loss means Sweden must win their upcoming match against Finland to claim the Euro Hockey Tour title (ID 134361, ID 134362).

With the tournament’s outcome hinging on one last match against Finland on Saturday, Damkronorna will seek to capitalize on their strong play and rectify their finishing struggles to secure the championship in front of their home crowd.