2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from Finland vs. Switzerland
Every team in Group A has a win under its belt at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
With a fully healthy roster and a couple of games to find their footing, Finland finally looked like a medal hopeful on Tuesday, as the team grabbed a solid 3-1 win over Switzerland.
While the final score looked relatively close, Finland dominated for most of the game. They put pressure on Swiss netminder Saskia Maurer for most of the contest. While no goals were scored in the first period, both teams found the back of the net in the second period in spades. The Finns struck first with back-to-back goals from Viivi Vainikka and Julia Liikala, the team’s first two goals in Milan. It seemed like Suomi was about to run away with the game like another team did on Tuesday.
Switzerland showed a little bit of life late in the period, as Alina Müller scored her second goal of the tournament. shorthanded, to cut the deficit to one. It was her 14th career goal at the Winter Games, making the four-time Olympian the all-time leading goal scorer in Swiss women’s hockey history at the Olympics.
However, just as soon as the Swiss looked like they were back in the game, Sanni Vanhanen potted her first of the tournament just 35 seconds later to restore the gap.
The game calmed down in the third, as Finland locked it down defensively, holding the Swiss to just four shots in the final 20 minutes.
Final shots on goal had Finland leading Switzerland 31-15. Sanni Ahola made 14 saves in her first win of the tournament, while Maurer made 28 saves in her third start of the preliminary round. Suomi went 2-for-5 on the power play, with Switzerland going 0-for-1.
With the win, Finland (1-0-2) moves up to fourth in the group. With Canada losing to the United States, a regulation win on Thursday would push the Finns to second place. Switzerland (1-0-3) will finish last in the group, setting up a quarterfinal with whoever finishes fourth.
Finland
Sanni Vanhanen, F
Heading into Tuesday, Finland was looking for any form of offense. While they were missing Susanna Tapani, the team saw other names come up with key performances, including Vanhanen. She helped set up Vainikka for the team’s first goal of the tournament before scoring a pivotal goal that derailed any Swiss momentum. If the Ohio State freshman can build some confidence off of Tuesday’s performance, she can be an x-factor in the later rounds.
Viivi Vainikka, F
Vanhanen’s former Brynäs IF teammate was heavily involved in the Finns’ attack against Switzerland. One of the premier scorers in the SDHL not only scored the game-winner but also led her team with six shots on goal. An important part of the national team for years, the 24-year-old needs to keep attacking the net and looking for openings to further show what has made her one of the best playmakers in Europe.
Switzerland
Alina Müller, F
Müller was the lone bright spot for the Swiss, outside of another strong effort by Maurer. Müller showed her ability to put the team on her back, even when they’re heavily outmatched. It almost goes without saying the importance of the Boston Fleet forward heading into the knockout stage. She’ll have to put forth a signature effort if Switzerland wants to play for a medal.