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18-year-old Ebba Hedqvist scored three goals, Sara Hjalmarsson registered three assists and Ida Boman made 16 saves as Sweden cruised to an 8-0 victory over Norway on Tuesday morning.
Norway battled valiantly but had no answers for the relentless Swedish attack, and gave up 56 shots on net. The shutout was Sweden’s third straight in this tournament. The squad has dominated Group B, allowing only two goals (both against Germany in their opening match) while scoring 17 in their four preliminary round games.
Sweden dominated possession, and spent long periods in the offensive zone, their dynamic play flummoxing the young Norwegian defense. The Three Crowns won the lion’s share of the game’s faceoffs, executing set plays virtually unchallenged.
Hedqvist did some of her best work in the slot, where she set effective screens, redirected point shots and fired a total of five shots on net. She and teammate Mira Hallin will need to continue their excellent netfront work when Sweden meets Finland in the first playoff round on Thursday.
Norway, who won their first game in the top division since 1994 on Sunday against Hungary, will take the lessons from this tournament home, their eyes trained on the future. The team’s young core will return to Division 1A next season as favorites to win promotion immediately.
Andrea Dalen, Mathea Fischer and Ena Nystrøm were named the Norwegian Most Valuable Players of the tournament.
Despite scoring eight goals, Sweden sat one of its biggest scoring threats in Hanna Thuvik. Prior to today’s game, 22-year-old Thuvik, who plays for Brynäs of the SDHL, was the squad’s leading goal scorer in the tournament. If she dresses, Thuvik will add another layer of veteran presence and scoring ability. After coasting through the preliminary round, Sweden will need all hands on deck to beat Finland and advance.
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