Thea Johansson is lighting up Milan with an unstoppable scoring streak. The Swedish forward netted her tournament leading fourth goal Sunday to power Sweden past France 4-0 at the Winter Games. With a suffocating defense and Emma Soderberg’s perfect goaltending, the unbeaten Swedes are now one step away from clinching Group B and signaling their return to the sport’s elite tier.
Johansson Leads the Offensive Charge
Sweden wasted no time asserting dominance on the ice at the Fiera Milano. Thea Johansson broke the deadlock early with a display of pure skill that has defined her tournament so far. She found space in the offensive zone and fired a precise shot past the French goaltender. This goal marked her fourth of the Olympics. It currently stands as the highest individual goal tally in the entire women’s tournament.
Her presence on the ice shifted the momentum immediately. Johansson is playing with a level of confidence that energizes her entire line. The French defenders struggled to contain her speed and positioning throughout the first period. Her opening goal forced France to open up their defensive shell which created more lanes for her teammates.
The offense did not stop with Johansson. The depth of the Swedish roster was on full display as the game progressed. Sara Hjalmarsson, Hanna Thuvik and Lisa Johansson also found the back of the net. This balanced attack proved too much for a French team making its Olympic debut. Sweden kept the pressure high and rotated their lines effectively to keep fresh legs on the big ice surface.
Soderberg Wall Frustrates French Attack
While the offense grabbed the headlines, Sweden’s defense was impenetrable. Emma Soderberg made her 2026 tournament debut in the net and delivered a flawless performance. The goaltender stopped all 14 shots she faced to record a shutout. This marked her first clean sheet in six career Olympic appearances dating back to previous games.
Soderberg looked calm and composed whenever France tried to mount a counterattack. Her rebound control was excellent. She limited second opportunities for the French forwards and allowed her defensemen to clear the zone quickly. The communication between Soderberg and her blue line unit was seamless throughout the sixty minutes.
The defensive statistics tell the story of a lopsided affair. Sweden controlled the puck for the majority of the game and limited France to perimeter shots.
| Stat Category | Sweden | France |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 0 |
| Shots on Goal | 49 | 14 |
| Saves | 14 | 45 |
| Record | 3-0 | 0-3 |
This defensive solidity is a key reason Sweden remains unbeaten through three preliminary games. They are not just outscoring opponents. They are completely suppressing them.
France Faces Early Exit After Third Loss
The loss puts France in a very difficult position. The French team dropped to a 0-3 record in their first ever Olympic appearance. They are now in serious jeopardy of missing the quarterfinals. Only the top three nations from Group B will advance to the knockout stage. France has struggled to match the pace and physicality of established programs like Sweden.
Despite the score, Alice Philbert was heroic in the French net. The goaltender faced a barrage of rubber and turned aside 45 shots. Philbert kept her team in the game much longer than the flow of play suggested. She made several acrobatic saves on point-blank chances. Without her performance the score could have been significantly worse for the Olympic newcomers.
France must now regroup quickly if they hope to salvage their tournament. Their offense generated only 14 shots which is rarely enough to win at this level. The team looked fatigued by the third period as they spent most of the game chasing the puck in their own defensive zone.
Young Core Revives Swedish Medal Hopes
This victory is about more than just three points in the standings. It represents a resurgence for the Swedish women’s program. Coach Ulf Lundberg has guided a once proud team back to relevance after a decade of struggles. The roster features eight players who are 22 years old or younger.
Many of these players were part of the team that won silver at the 2018 U-18 championships. That generation has now matured into the senior team core. Lundberg expressed his excitement about the team’s trajectory after the win.
Sweden can clinch first place in Group B with a win or a loss by Japan in the upcoming games. A first place finish would secure a matchup with the third seeded team from Group A in the quarterfinals. The path to a medal is opening up for this talented young squad. They are playing with a belief that has been missing from Swedish hockey for years.
In other action on Sunday, Finland renewed its rivalry with Czechia in Group A play. But the story of the day remains Sweden’s dominance. They have transformed from underdogs into genuine contenders in Milan.
Sweden has successfully blended their young talent with a structured system. The defense is solid. The goaltending is reliable. And in Thea Johansson, they have a star scorer who can change a game in an instant.
Sweden continues its march toward the medal rounds with high confidence. The team looks poised to make a deep run if they maintain this level of play. Fans in Milan are witnessing the rebirth of a hockey powerhouse.
