For five minutes, Sweden stood up. Then it was a total meltdown for Canada in the JVM final. It was Caitlin Kraemer who opened the scoring, with a shot from close range between goalkeeper Felicia Frank’s leg pads. The Canadian then crashed into Frank and moved the goal cage, but the puck was in the goal before that and was cleared.
After the first goal, it didn’t even take 30 seconds before Kraemer made it 2-0. It was a nightmare period for Sweden and after twelve minutes it was 5-0, where the fifth goal meant that Kraemer completed his hat-trick. Then Frank left the ice and was replaced by Ida Henriksson. She managed to keep her clean sheet until the first period break.
– It is of course very sad that it was such a start, but it goes fast in hockey and there are two periods left. I know we have even more to give, says Sweden’s team captain Stella Lindell to SVT Sport.
“There must be a second gear”
But even though the Swedes played really well in the second half, it offered three more Kanden goals and the score at the second period break was 8-0. The closest Sweden came to a reduction was a crossbar shot from Mira Jungåker.
The improvement of the Swedish game then continued further in the final period. After an early goal from Canada to make it 9-0, Sweden had several sharp chances, including from Hilda Svensson. But it still became too difficult to get a hole in the opponent, who had a pace completely superior to Sweden’s, and soon followed Kraemer’s fourth goal of the match, in a power play. That was the end of Canada’s scoring streak, and 10-0 was the winning tally for the newly-crowned junior world champions, the largest ever margin of victory in a JVM final.
– Sweden has had a great championship until the last match. Great Sweden, but if they are to get to the absolute top and also to the senior level, then there must be a second gear to add in the last match, says SVT’s expert Maria Rooth.
It is Sweden’s second JVM silver on the women’s side. For Canada, it is gold number seven in the order.
