Alina Muller scores 2nd Olympic women's hockey bronze-clinching goal as Switzerland beats Sweden 2-1

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MILAN (AP) — Alina Muller did it again.

Twelve years after scoring the clinching goal to deliver Switzerland its first Olympic medal in women's hockey — a bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games — Muller scored 9:09 into overtime in a 2-1 win over Sweden on Thursday for the bronze at the Milan Cortina Games.

“It means everything. This team, the staff, everybody fought so hard for this moment,” Muller said.

The stakes were bigger this time as Muller secured a second medal for the Swiss. In 2014, she was a 15-year-old newcomer when she scored to make it 4-2 with 67 seconds left in an eventual 4-3 win, also over Sweden.

This time, she came through in overtime for a Swiss women’s program that's on the rise — as is the sport, with the establishment of the Professional Women’s Hockey League drawing more interest.

“I can’t compare. It’s a totally different story, different team, different role on the team, different status of women’s sports in the world,” said Muller, who is in her third year with the Boston Fleet. “To do this while everybody is watching means so much more.”

Muller had also grown tired of reminiscing about Sochi, because she didn’t want to live in the past.

“Full-circle moment now,” said Muller, who went on to become a star at Northeastern University.

In the 3-on-3 overtime, Muller set up the goal by driving up the ice through the middle and feeding Ivana Wey to her left. Wey returned the pass and Muller drove to the net, flipping a shot over Ebba Svensson Traff’s outstretched glove.

“I know I was tired. I know my legs were heavy. I saw a little opening and just hoped Ivana saw me and she did,” Muller said.

“She made an unbelievable pass and I just got rid of it as fast as I can,” she added. “And then, yeah, I blacked out and then seeing all my friends coming at me, jumping, tears in their eyes. That’s a feeling you cannot repeat.”

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

Braendli was 16 at the time and recalled being on the couch watching the 2014 tournament on TV when Muller scored.

She enjoyed her vantage point much more on Thursday.

“She’s a trailblazer in our country. She’s the face of women’s hockey since she scored that goal in 2014. And ever since she carried that pressure with so much grace, so much power,” Braendli said. “She is our best player in the country and just showed today that she deserves to be called that.”

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.

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 in group play and then upset Czechia 2-0 in the quarterfinals before losing 5-0 to the U.S. in the semis on Monday.

Switzerland opened 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 Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics