On Feb. 13, the women’s ice hockey Olympic tournament continued with the start of the quarterfinal games. Sweden and Czechia faced off against one another to kick off the two-game slate for the first day of the quarterfinals.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Tournament
The first period just saw two penalties for Sweden, but no change in score. Early in the second period, Sweden capitalized on their first power play of the game, giving them the goal advantage heading into the third period.
Although Czechia had two power-play opportunities in the third, they couldn’t make the most of them. Towards the end of the game, they pulled the goaltender in an attempt to even the score. In the end, it was Sweden who sent the puck home to ensure a 2-0 shutout win to advance to the semifinals in the tournament.
Svensson with a Two-Point Game
Sweden scored twice in this game, and both times Hilda Svensson put her name on the scoresheet.
Just three minutes into the second period, Tereza Vanisova took a seat for interference on Ebba Svensson Traff. A minute into the power play, Hanna Olsson scored thanks to a brilliant pass from Svensson.
With minutes left in the game, Czechia pulled Klara Peslarova to try to even the score. Svensson gained control of the puck and sent it into the empty net to ensure Sweden’s victory.
During the regular season, Svensson plays in the NCAA for the Ohio State University. She currently has 44 points in 26 games, demonstrating strong offensive strength. This is only her first season in the NCAA, so she has a few more to go before she can transition to playing professionally, whether she chooses to play in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) or internationally. Regardless of what she decides, she is on track to have a successful hockey career.
Svensson Traff With the Shutout
This game marks Sweden’s third shutout of the tournament, and Svensson Traff’s second. The first was against France on Feb. 8, but Emma Soderberg was in the net to record this shutout. On Feb. 10, Traff earned her first shutout when she stopped all 20 shots from Japan.
This game was different from the first two shutouts that Sweden recorded in the tournament. This time, Czechia outshot Sweden 29-23. The two teams were evenly paced; Czechia still had the upper hand offensively. In the end, Traff held strong for her team’s third shutout of the tournament.
The 21-year-old goaltender has spent her career playing for Linköping HC in Sweden. So far this season, she has played 32 games and has recorded a save percentage of .933 and has a record of 9-23-0. Although this hasn’t been her strongest season, she has been holding down the net for her team in the Olympics. This tournament could be her turning point in the regular season when she returns to her team. So far, she has had a solid performance on the international stage.
Czechia’s Special Teams Contributed to Their Elimination
Olsson’s goal marked the fourth power-play goal that Czechia allowed in the tournament. Considering they took a total of 34 penalty minutes, they only allowed goals on four of the 17 power-play opportunities they allowed. They tried to keep the penalty kill strong, but in the end, this was their downfall in this game.
Sweden scored on the first power-play opportunity that they allowed, and Czechia failed to capitalize on their five opportunities for the extra-player advantage in this game. Special teams remained a struggle, especially on the power play. They put up a tough fight, but Sweden was ultimately the stronger team in the end.
Sweden Advances to the Semi-Finals
Sweden will participate in the semi-finals on Monday, Feb. 16.
