- The Swiss women’s national ice hockey team wins the Olympic quarter-finals against the Russian team 4-2 and is in the semi-finals.
- Backlog, coach’s challenge, lightning reaction: The final third can hardly be surpassed in terms of drama.
- Colin Muller’s team will face Canada or the USA in the semifinals on Monday.
In Beijing, the Swiss women’s national team can continue to dream of their second Olympic medal after Sochi in 2014. After the 5-2 defeat in the preliminary round, the Swiss team got their revenge against the Russians at the right time in the quarter-finals.
The Swiss women had to survive the last 1:47 minutes of the final third outnumbered. In fact, it got really hot again in front of Andrea Brändli’s goal. Salvation came only seconds before the final siren when Alina Müller scored into the empty goal to make it 4:2.
What had happened in the Wukesong Arena in the minutes before was pure madness. But one after anonther:
- In the 47 minutes the Russians take the lead for the first time. Striker Anna Schochina catches goalkeeper Brändli between the schooners and sets up 2:1.
- National coach Colin Muller, however, sets the Coach’s Challenge one. The reason? The disc should have left the field beforehand. And indeed: After consulting the video images, the Goal disallowed by the Russians. The puck hit a metal strut on the plexiglass pane and fell back onto the field from there.
- Not a minute later, the puck wriggles in the net again. This time, however, behind the Russian goalkeeper Valeria Merkusheva. Dominique Ruegg completed a counterattack in an exemplary manner 2:1 away.
Crazy final third not over yet
But the fair was still a long way from being read. The Russians, who lacked the three-time goal scorer from the preliminary round game against Switzerland in Polina Bolgarewa (Corona), then vehemently pressed for the equalizer. After Brändli was unable to block the target, Polina Lutschnikova (57th) pushed the puck over the line – 2:2.
But this time, too, the Swiss managed the perfect reaction in the form of an exemplary counterattack. Only 30 seconds later, Müller restored the lead with a 3:2 pass from Lara Stalder. And this time it lasted to the end.
votes on the game
In the semifinals, superiority awaits
Compared to the final third, the first 40 minutes offered little spectacle. The Swiss were extremely disciplined defensively. The longer the game lasted, the better the Muller team played offensively. The reward for this was Phoebe Staenz’s 1-0 lead in the 35th minute, which didn’t last long. Anna Sawonina (38th) equalized before the second break.
After the dramatic victory, the Swiss are in the semi-finals. It is not yet clear whether they will meet the USA or Canada there on Monday. The only thing that is clear is that the opponent will definitely be overpowered.