2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from France vs. Sweden
The pre-eminent favorite to finish atop Group B is taking one step closer to making that a reality.
Thanks to a strong start and a controlling effort, Sweden came away with a 4-0 win over France to stay undefeated at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Swedes exploited France’s lack of talent from the get-go, outshooting Les Bleus 19-3 in the opening 20 minutes. Thea Johansson stayed hot with her fourth of the tournament, with Sara Hjalmarsson and Hanna Thuvik also finding the back of the net.
Damkronoma potted another early in the second, with Lisa Johansson scoring her fourth career goal at the Winter Olympics. That ended up being more than enough, as the Swedes put their machine on cruise control on their way to victory.
Sweden ended up outshooting France 49-14. Emma Söderberg, making her first start of the tournament, earned her first shutout in her young Olympic career and the first of her major international career. Philbert made 45 saves in the losing effort. She becomes the first goaltender in the tournament to be credited with over 100 saves.
The Swedes went 1-for-5 on the power play, while France was 0-for-3.
Sweden (3-0-0) has one more game in the preliminary round, that coming on Tuesday against Japan. If Japan (1-0-1) loses to Italy in any way on Monday, Sweden will clinch first place in the group.
With the loss, France is effectively eliminated from quarterfinal contention. While it was their first appearance at the Winter Games, the country knows the level it needs to reach to be competitive when it hosts in 2030.
Sweden
Hilda Svensson, F
Whenever I get to see Hilda Svensson play on the international stage, I get very excited. Her creativity and skill put her in a different class. She showed that playmaking ability that has made her a standout at Ohio State on Sunday. The 19-year-old picked up a pair of assists, including a great setup on Thea Johansson’s goal in the early stages of the first period. She now leads the tournament with four assists so far.
Hanna Thuvik, F
I love the style of play Thuvik shows. Quick hands, not afraid to go hard to the net, with a knack for finishing. It’s something she has shown for years with Brynäs IF in the SDHL, and she showed it again against the French. A two-point performance could give the 23-year-old confidence to be a difference-maker in the knockout stage.
Lisa Johansson, F
While Thea Johansson was the star of the show in the win over Italy on Saturday, the elder Johansson stepped up on Sunday. Playing alongside veteran Hjalmarsson and the speedy Thuvik allows Johansson the chance to shine offensively. Along with scoring herself in the middle stanza, the 33-year-old assisted on Thuvik’s marker in the first. She quietly has four points through the first three games.
France
Clara Rozier, F
It wasn’t a fun afternoon for the French, as the Swedes didn’t allow a lot of possession. However, we saw some life from Rozier. The 28-year-old has spent many years playing in Auroliga, the top pro league in Finland, as well as the past two years with SC Bern Frauen in Switzerland. She has one assist so far in the tournament, and against Sweden, she posted two shots on goal in 24:16 of ice time, second on the team on Sunday.