Nystrøm Says No: Brynäs Keeper Makes 49 Saves to Halt SDE Win Streak at Seven

Ena Nystrøm had an incredible performance, Elisa Holopainen put up a hat trick, and Camryn Wong continued her strong start in the SDHL. Here's a look at Sunday's action from Sweden:

SDE 1 - Brynäs 2 SO

Despite being outshot and outplayed, Brynäs stole a victory on the strength of excellent goaltending. Ena Nystrøm made 49 saves through regulation and overtime before stopping 3 of 4 SDE shootout attempts to secure the win. SDE dominated this game everywhere but the scoreboard. They possessed the puck more, they shot more by a multiple of three. They had more power plays. They played better defense. Brynäs, at times, seemed intent on losing, and produced more defensive zone giveaways than shots. SDE beat Nystrøm only twice: once when SDE captain Mathea Fischer was left alone in the slot and redirected a point shot to tie the game 1-1 in the third period, and once in the shootout. Brynäs put three pucks past SDE’s Lovisa Berndtsson, and snuck home with a two-point win.

Frölunda 6 - Skellefteå 2

After dropping two straight games and playing inconsistently in each, Frölunda and sniper Elisa Holopainen finally seemed determined to win. Holopainen scored the game’s first two goals, beating Skellefteå backup goalie Blanka Skodová low blocker with each. Skellefteå responded just before the first intermission when Laura Lerchová stepped into a shot to beat goalie Maja Helge with one second left on the clock. Frölunda regained their two-goal lead early in the middle frame when Andrea Dalen converted a Michelle Karvinen pass from the corner to beat Skodová glove side. Minutes later, FHC’s lead increased again, when young Edit Danielsson sniped from the right circle on the power play. Before the ink had dried on the scoresheet, Frölunda’s Hanna Olsson scored another to chase Skodová. The goalie change did not stop the bleeding, as Holopainen completed her hat trick with a dart from the high slot that screeched past SKE’s Camryn Drever. SKE added a power play goal, earned when Jenna Pirttijärvi took advantage of a lazy Frölunda faceoff, but that is as close as they would get, and Frölunda cruised to a 6-2 win.

HV71 1 - Luleå 4

Luleå newcomer Camryn Wong continued her hot streak to lead her team to a convincing win over ninth place HV. Wong, who scored the last-second overtime game-winner against Frölunda in her first SDHL game on Friday, once again scored the game’s decisive goal on Sunday. HV’s Julia Nearis opened the scoring only seconds into the second period to give her team a brief lead. Wong and Luleå responded minutes later. The defender started with the puck below her own blue line, sped up ice, and drove wide past a HV71 defender before tucking the puck home. Five minutes later, it was Wong again, scoring on a deflection of an Emma Nordin point shot. Wong has thoroughly impressed in her first two games in Sweden. She has high end skills, of course, honed during her years at the University of Connecticut, but she also has a nose for the net, and despite being a defender, has been incredibly effective thus far within 5 meters of the opposing team’s goal. Savannah Norcross and Viivi Vainikka rounded out the scoring for Luleå as the league leaders cruised to a 4-1 win and allowed only seven shots against.

Leksand 1 - MoDo 3

In a surprisingly competitive game, second place MoDo needed great goaltending from Andrea Brändli to eke out a win against lowly Leksand, now losers of 12 straight. To their credit, Leksand played one of their feistiest and most competitive games in recent memory. They controlled the play at times, displaying poise, speed and no small degree of chutzpah against their much higher-ranking opponent. After MoDo’s Alexa Gruschow opened the scoring in the first, Leksand responded when Kiira Yrjänen sniped her fourth of the season early in the second frame. Leksand generated even more prime chances in the second, but were denied time and again by Brändli. If the Hockey Gods had been in a different mood, Leksand might have earned the win. Instead, MoDo took the lead late in the middle frame, never relinquished it, and added an empty netter to boot. Brändli stopped 31 shots for the win, while her Leksand counterpart, Emma Polusny valiantly saved 34 in the loss.