By Trevor Stynes and Amy Tennery
MILAN, Feb 19 (Reuters) – Alina Muller scored in overtime to secure bronze for Switzerland with a 2-1 victory over Sweden in Olympic women’s ice hockey at Santagiulia Arena on Thursday, firing a laser shot in with just 50 seconds left in the extra session of three-on-three play.
This is Switzerland’s second Olympic women’s ice hockey medal, having also beaten Sweden in 2014 to win bronze, when the then 15-year-old Muller also scored the game-winning goal. She became the hero again, converting Ivana Wey’s pass in front of the Swedish net.
Muller wheeled away, launching her gloves and helmet in the air in celebration before being submerged by her team mates.
“It’s a dream come true. It was a very tight game, so even more fun to win like that,” said Muller.
“It’s a blackout. I don’t know. It was amazing. Just seeing all my teammates coming at me is the coolest feeling ever.
“We really wanted this,” Muller added. “We felt good about it the whole tournament. To get it done, it’s a tough tournament. Everybody wants to win. I wouldn’t want it with any other team.”
Defending champions Canada face the United States in the gold-medal game later on Thursday.
SWISS ‘BATTLED EVERY GAME’
Mira Jungaker had put Sweden ahead in the 12th minute of the second period, and the Swiss, who had earlier failed to score on a penalty shot, responded four minutes later through Sinja Leemann.
Overtime brought sweet redemption for many on this Swiss team who had missed out on the bronze four years ago, losing to Finland.
Hilda Svensson created Sweden’s opener, taking the puck behind the goal and swinging around to the other wing before her precise pass found Jungaker, who had time and space to pick her spot, sending her shot through traffic off the post and into the net.
Switzerland drew level with Leemann converting Alina Marti’s pass from behind the goal to set up an enthralling final period.
The Swiss looked the more dangerous side in overtime and were rewarded for an overall dogged defensive display, having been outshot 31-17 over the 60 minutes of regulation play.
The win caps a remarkable tournament turnaround for Switzerland, who lost all but one of their Group A games.
Muller sent them past Finland and into the final four with her second-period kill shot in the quarter-finals, marking a stunning return to form.
They were unable to get past the impenetrable Canadian force in their semi-final – with Canada having never missed the Olympic championship game – but the joy of bronze was nearly as good as gold on Thursday, as the Swiss erupted for Muller’s overtime heroics.
“They’ve put in so much work this whole tournament,” said Swiss coach Colin Muller. “They believed in themselves. They battled every game and it’s so good to see them come out with a medal.”
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes and Amy Tennery in Milan, additional reporting by Janina Nuno Rios and Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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