Sweden scored three goals in the second period and pulled away to defeat Italy to the tune of 6-1 this afternoon before a raucous crowd of 10,727. Thea Johansson had two goals and an assist, and she is now tied with German Laura Kluge for the tournament scoring lead with four points through two games.

The crucial Group B game was a battle of undefeated teams, both having won their Olympic-openers by 4-1 scores. Today Sweden had the better of the play and more of the top-notch scoring chances. But even though the Swedes were listed as the home team on the game sheet, there was no mistake that the overwhelming majority of fans in the sold-out Santagiulia were screaming, “Eee—tal—yaaaa!”

"Honestly, playing in front of this many people, I don't think many of the girls have done that before," said Sweden's captain, Anna Kjellbin. "We expected some nerves, but I think we handled it pretty well. We came out ready from the start and just kept playing our game all three periods."

The win puts Sweden in first place with a 2-0 record and six points, while Italy is tied for second with three points and a 1-1 record.

"Sweden's a really good hockey team," said Italian forward Kristin Della Rovere. "I think we came out flying and then were on our heels a little bit, but I'm just so proud of these girls. I'm looking forward to the next two games."

The only other time these teams faced each other at the Olympics was 20 years ago, when the Swedes won, 11-0, and the Italians managed only four shots all game. Today, they had 19, several of which tested Ebba Svensson Traff to the fullest. Times sure have changed, and the Italians are proving to be much more difficult hosts this year than they were in Turin in 2006.

The opening period was evenly played, but the better chances were against Martina Fedel, who was the winning goalie against France two days ago. Nevertheless, the Swedes opened the scoring midway through the opening period. Hanna Thuvik fought off a check behind the net and got the puck to Jessica Adolfsson, and she snapped a shot high to the short side at 9:50 to make it a 1-0 game. It was her first career goal at the Olympics, having been held goalless in five games in 2022.

The Italians had a great chance to tie it later when Manuela Heidenberger took a breakaway pass and tried unsuccessfully to beat Traff between the pads.

The Swedes took control in the second, however, scoring twice in the middle part of the period. They made it 2-0 at 9:36 off a coast-to-coast rush from Sofie Lundin. She finished with a hard shot to the far side from the top of the faceoff circle. 

Just two minutes later, they struck again, this time off a turnover at centre ice. Sara Hjalmarsson lifted the puck past Laura Lobis and sailed in on goal, beating Fedel with a shot under the blocker. 

The Italians got some life at 13:30 when they broke Svensson Traff’s shutout. The goalie made a quick save off her mask, but the puck came out to Franziska Stocker in the slot, and the Bolzano native cracked a sharp shot under the goalie’s glove.

The celebrations lasted just 69 seconds, though, as the Swedes restored their three-goal lead. Hanna Olsson curled through the slot and beat Fedel under the blocker again, this time from the other side. 

The Swedes were unlucky not to have added to their lead. Johansson had a short-handed breakaway that was nullified by a fine pad save, and Olsson popped one off the crossbar soon after. But early in the third, they took advantage off a giveaway in the Italy end to go up 5-1. Della Rovere made an unwise pass coming out of her end, and Johansson picked it off and went in alone. She made no mistake with the deke.

That spelled the end for Fedel, as coach Eric Chouinard brought in Gabriella Durante for the rest of the game. She made a great glove stab off a Hilda Svensson shot during a Sweden power play, but she wasn't so lucky on a two-on-one a few minutes later. Olsson got the puck to Johansson, who roofed the pass for her second goal of the period and third of the tournament.

"We've been scouting them a bit, but we didn't know how they would come out and play against us today, Kjellbin added. "I think we adjusted after the first period and took over in the second and third. We're not taking anything for granted."