Swiss star Alina Muller (#25) waves to the crowd after scoring the 2-1 overtime winner against Sweden in the bronze medal game at the 2026 Olympics.
photo: PHOTO: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDREA CARDIN
Alina Muller scored the thrilling winner with 0:51 left in overtime as Switzerland beat Sweden 2-1 to capture the 2026 Olympic bronze medal in women’s hockey on Thursday.
Muller, the most dangerous Swiss forward, raced into the Swedish end and executed a slick give-and-go with Ivana Wey before roofing the puck for her team-leading fourth goal. The Boston Fleet ace threw away her helmet and gloves in ecstasy as her teammates mobbed her.
"I’m at a loss for words, honestly," Muller said. "This means everything. This team, the staff, everybody fought so hard for this moment and of course, in the end, us players made it possible. It gave us an opportunity to experience this feeling. It was a hard battle and even nicer to win like that."
During regulation time in a cautiously played defensive duel, Sinja Leemann also scored for Switzerland, which earns just its second Olympic medal ever. At the 2014 Winter Games, the Swiss first medaled with a 4-3 bronze victory over Sweden. That Swiss squad included a 15-year-old Muller.
Fourth place is heartbreaking for Sweden, which had hoped to end a 20-year Olympic medal drought in Milan.
"We know we can skate and maybe we should’ve used it more to our advantage in terms of overtime," said Swedish forward Thea Johansson.
Final shots favoured Sweden 32-25. This bronze medal showdown featured two top starting goalies in Switzerland’s Andrea Braendli and Sweden’s Ebba Svensson Traff. Both were great, but Braendli ultimately delivered the goods, including 13 third-period saves.
"Having two days off after the semi-finals really got the emotions rolling," said Braendli, who made 44 saves in the 2-1 semi-final loss to Canada. "I had players come to me two days ago saying they were nervous, and I'm like, 'Just relax. We've got so much time!' Today, it was pure excitement, feeling ready to get into the game. "
At age 27, Muller has carved out her place in hockey history. She ranks fourth in all-time Olympic goals (16) behind a trio of Canadian greats: Marie-Philip Poulin (20), Hayley Wickenheiser (19), and Meghan Agosta (17).
In a scoreless first period, the best chance went to Switzerland’s Rahel Enzler, whom Braendli denied from right in front during a power play with Swedish captain Anna Kjellbin off for cross-checking. Both teams limited chances by keeping play along the walls.
In the second period, when Sweden's Thea Johansson tried a cross-ice pass to Hilda Svensson on a 2-on-1, Swiss defender Lara Christen sprawled to break it up with her stick.
Wey outlined the overall Swiss approach: "We tried to just have the confidence, move the puck quickly, go up on the same side, stop behind the net, and try to keep them low in the O-zone."
At 6:21, Wey got a penalty shot after being impeded by Thea Johansson en route to the net. But the 20-year-old Zug forward's five-hole attempt was blocked by Svensson Traff's stick.
Jungaker drew first blood at 11:40. Svensson circled the Swiss zone and fed the Ohio State rearguard at the blue line. Jungaker sent a wrist shot sailing past Braendli with Hanna Olsson providing the screen. It was her second goal of the tournament, as she also scored in the 4-1 opening win over Germany.
At 15:40, Switzerland made it 1-1 after Olsson turned the puck over on the Swedish breakout. Alina Marti grabbed the puck behind the net and centred it to Leemann, who made no mistake.
With under three minutes left in the third period, Switzerland's Lena Marie Lutz was sent off for cross-checking on Maja Nylsen Persson. Swedish coach Ulf Lundberg called his timeout to strategize, but the blue-and-yellow team couldn't cash in on the power play. It was off to sudden-death.
"I think we had our chances and we shouldn’t have let it go to OT," said Sweden's Lisa Johansson. "I’ve been waiting 15 years to get a chance to play for a medal, so naturally, this sucks. This is probably the most skilled and close-knit Team Sweden I’ve ever played on."
Muller described the feeling of potting the winner: "I blacked out. I saw all my friends coming at me, jumping, tears in their eye. That's a feeling you cannot repeat."
The Swedes perhaps deserved a better fate on medals day. Here in Milan, they forged a perfect record in Group B and earned a 2-0 quarter-final upset over Czechia before falling 5-0 to the U.S. in the semi-finals.
Sweden last won an Olympic women’s hockey medal in 2006. It was a stunning silver medal with virtuoso performances by goalie Kim Martin and forwards Maria Rooth and Erika Holst. After upsetting the Americans in the semi-finals, the Swedes fell 4-1 to Canada in the final. Sweden's only other Olympic medal was bronze in 2002. The Swedes earned IIHF Women's World Championship bronze in 2005 and 2007 and have won nothing since.
This was just the fourth Olympic game ever between Switzerland and Sweden. Besides the 2014 bronze medal game, the Swedes won 3-0 in 2010 and fell 2-1 in 2018 in the preliminary round. Sweden’s all-time Women’s Worlds record versus Switzerland is six wins and three losses.
Muller, the most dangerous Swiss forward, raced into the Swedish end and executed a slick give-and-go with Ivana Wey before roofing the puck for her team-leading fourth goal. The Boston Fleet ace threw away her helmet and gloves in ecstasy as her teammates mobbed her.
"I’m at a loss for words, honestly," Muller said. "This means everything. This team, the staff, everybody fought so hard for this moment and of course, in the end, us players made it possible. It gave us an opportunity to experience this feeling. It was a hard battle and even nicer to win like that."
During regulation time in a cautiously played defensive duel, Sinja Leemann also scored for Switzerland, which earns just its second Olympic medal ever. At the 2014 Winter Games, the Swiss first medaled with a 4-3 bronze victory over Sweden. That Swiss squad included a 15-year-old Muller.
Fourth place is heartbreaking for Sweden, which had hoped to end a 20-year Olympic medal drought in Milan.
"We know we can skate and maybe we should’ve used it more to our advantage in terms of overtime," said Swedish forward Thea Johansson.
Final shots favoured Sweden 32-25. This bronze medal showdown featured two top starting goalies in Switzerland’s Andrea Braendli and Sweden’s Ebba Svensson Traff. Both were great, but Braendli ultimately delivered the goods, including 13 third-period saves.
"Having two days off after the semi-finals really got the emotions rolling," said Braendli, who made 44 saves in the 2-1 semi-final loss to Canada. "I had players come to me two days ago saying they were nervous, and I'm like, 'Just relax. We've got so much time!' Today, it was pure excitement, feeling ready to get into the game. "
At age 27, Muller has carved out her place in hockey history. She ranks fourth in all-time Olympic goals (16) behind a trio of Canadian greats: Marie-Philip Poulin (20), Hayley Wickenheiser (19), and Meghan Agosta (17).
In a scoreless first period, the best chance went to Switzerland’s Rahel Enzler, whom Braendli denied from right in front during a power play with Swedish captain Anna Kjellbin off for cross-checking. Both teams limited chances by keeping play along the walls.
In the second period, when Sweden's Thea Johansson tried a cross-ice pass to Hilda Svensson on a 2-on-1, Swiss defender Lara Christen sprawled to break it up with her stick.
Wey outlined the overall Swiss approach: "We tried to just have the confidence, move the puck quickly, go up on the same side, stop behind the net, and try to keep them low in the O-zone."
At 6:21, Wey got a penalty shot after being impeded by Thea Johansson en route to the net. But the 20-year-old Zug forward's five-hole attempt was blocked by Svensson Traff's stick.
Jungaker drew first blood at 11:40. Svensson circled the Swiss zone and fed the Ohio State rearguard at the blue line. Jungaker sent a wrist shot sailing past Braendli with Hanna Olsson providing the screen. It was her second goal of the tournament, as she also scored in the 4-1 opening win over Germany.
At 15:40, Switzerland made it 1-1 after Olsson turned the puck over on the Swedish breakout. Alina Marti grabbed the puck behind the net and centred it to Leemann, who made no mistake.
With under three minutes left in the third period, Switzerland's Lena Marie Lutz was sent off for cross-checking on Maja Nylsen Persson. Swedish coach Ulf Lundberg called his timeout to strategize, but the blue-and-yellow team couldn't cash in on the power play. It was off to sudden-death.
"I think we had our chances and we shouldn’t have let it go to OT," said Sweden's Lisa Johansson. "I’ve been waiting 15 years to get a chance to play for a medal, so naturally, this sucks. This is probably the most skilled and close-knit Team Sweden I’ve ever played on."
Muller described the feeling of potting the winner: "I blacked out. I saw all my friends coming at me, jumping, tears in their eye. That's a feeling you cannot repeat."
The Swedes perhaps deserved a better fate on medals day. Here in Milan, they forged a perfect record in Group B and earned a 2-0 quarter-final upset over Czechia before falling 5-0 to the U.S. in the semi-finals.
Sweden last won an Olympic women’s hockey medal in 2006. It was a stunning silver medal with virtuoso performances by goalie Kim Martin and forwards Maria Rooth and Erika Holst. After upsetting the Americans in the semi-finals, the Swedes fell 4-1 to Canada in the final. Sweden's only other Olympic medal was bronze in 2002. The Swedes earned IIHF Women's World Championship bronze in 2005 and 2007 and have won nothing since.
This was just the fourth Olympic game ever between Switzerland and Sweden. Besides the 2014 bronze medal game, the Swedes won 3-0 in 2010 and fell 2-1 in 2018 in the preliminary round. Sweden’s all-time Women’s Worlds record versus Switzerland is six wins and three losses.
Bronze Medal Game: Switzerland vs Sweden - 2026 Women's Olympic Games
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