On Thursday, Feb. 19, Sweden and Switzerland faced off at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena for the bronze medal game in the 2026 Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Tournament
The first period saw a power play opportunity for Switzerland, but they couldn’t capitalize on it. There was no change in score after the first 20 minutes.
In the second, Switzerland’s Ivana Wey was awarded a penalty shot but couldn’t cash in on the opportunity. Sweden scored the first goal of the game just five minutes after Switzerland’s penalty shot, but four minutes later, Switzerland evened the score.
With no change in score at the end of the third, this game went into overtime to decide the winner. Time was dwindling, and it looked like this game was going to head to a shootout. In the final seconds, Alina Muller scored to bring home the bronze for Switzerland.
Jungaker Broke the Ice
Switzerland won, but let’s not ignore the first goal in this game. Mira Jungaker scored 11 minutes into the second period to give Sweden the lead.
The most impressive part about Jungaker’s goal is that she was in pain on the bench just minutes before. She blocked a shot with her body and was getting medical attention. Despite this, she still went out onto the ice and scored the first goal of the game.
The 2026 Winter Olympics were the first for the 20-year-old defender. During the regular season, she plays for Ohio State University, where she is in her sophomore year. Her performance at the Olympic Games demonstrated that she is poised for a long professional hockey career ahead of her, as she will continue to improve her game with more time on the ice.
Leemann Evened the Score
Just five minutes before Sweden got on the board, Ivana Wey was awarded a penalty shot. She was skating up to the net when she was hooked, awarding her the shot. Ebba Svensson Traff blocked the shot, and then shortly after, Sweden scored. Four minutes later, Switzerland had its first goal of the game.
Sinja Leemann brought the puck into Switzerland’s zone, but it was taken away by Jungaker. She passed it to Hanna Olsson, who tried to send the puck out of her defensive zone. Instead, Alina Marti stole the puck from her and skated it around the back of the net, where she passed it to Leemann, who scored to tie the game.
The 2026 Olympics are Leemann’s second time competing for Switzerland at the Olympic level, but this goal was her first at the Olympics and arguably the most important of the tournament. She helped bring her team to victory.
Muller Wins It for Switzerland
The seconds were dwindling in the 10-minute three-on-three overtime, and Switzerland had the puck. Wey skated it up to the net with Alina Muller at her side. Wey passed it to Muller, who was in front of the net. She took a shot, which hit the crossbar and went in to secure Switzerland’s victory.
These Olympic Games were incredible for Muller, as she recorded five points in seven games, including the game-winning goal in this one. Her goal put her fourth all-time among women in Olympic history. Earlier in the tournament, she also broke the Swiss women’s hockey record for the most assists with 13 and the most career goals with 15, but she made it 16 with her game-winner.
Throughout the tournament, Switzerland was shut out twice. In both the final game of the preliminary tournament and the quarterfinals, Muller was the only player on the Swiss team to score a goal. It was her goal in the quarterfinals that gave Switzerland the chance to compete in the semifinals after they knocked out Finland.
Muller’s goal earned the bronze medal for Switzerland, which is the first time since the 2014 Olympics in Sochi that Switzerland is leaving with a piece of hardware to show for their efforts.
Women’s Tournament Concludes Today
With Switzerland now on the podium with the bronze medal, all that is left is the gold medal game. The USA and Canada will face off against one another later today, at 1:10 PM ET, to see who will win gold.
