Muller scores 2nd Olympic bronze-clinching goal for Switzerland

MILAN (AP) — Alina Muller scored 9:09 into overtime to clinch Switzerland its second Olympic women’s hockey bronze medal in a 2-1 win over Sweden at the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday.

It was Muller’s second medal-clinching goal after she — a 15-year-old at the time — scored the game-winner in Switzerland’s 4-3 win over Sweden in the bronze matchup at the 2014 Sochi Games.

Sinja Leemann scored for Switzerland, and Andrea Braendli stopped 32 shots.

Mira Jungaker scored for Sweden, and Ebba Svensson Traff stopped 23 shots, including Ivana Wey’s penalty shot attempt 6:21 into the second period.

Muller set up the play by driving up the ice through the middle and feeding Wey to her left. Wey returned the pass, and Muller drove to the net, flipping a shot over Svensson Traff’s outstretched glove.

The teams traded second-period goals four minutes apart. Jungaker scored 11:40 in by snapping a shot from the left point through a crowd to beat Braendli inside the far post.

Leemann tied the game by scoring from atop the crease on Alina Marti’s pass from behind the net.

The Swedes went 4-0 to finish first in Group B play, and then upset Czechia 2-0 in the quarterfinals before losing 5-0 to the U.S. in the semis on Monday.

Switzerland got a boost in opening the tournament with a 4-3 shootout win over Czechia. Then, following three losses, the Swiss upset Finland 1-0 in the quarterfinals, with Braendli stopping 40 shots.

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AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics