MILAN – History repeated itself in spectacular fashion as Alina Muller delivered Switzerland’s second women’s ice hockey Olympic bronze medal, scoring the decisive goal against Sweden just as she did twelve years ago as a teenager.
The 27-year-old forward found the back of the net with under a minute remaining in overtime Thursday, preventing a shootout and securing Switzerland’s first Olympic medal in women’s hockey since 2014 – when a 15-year-old Muller scored the final goal in a 4-3 victory over the same Swedish team in Sochi.
Swiss goalkeeper Andrea Braendli, who turned away 32 of 33 shots, praised her teammate’s clutch performance.
“I think she just likes to shoot the important games for our national team,” Braendli said. “That’s just a fact. 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 has carried that pressure with so much grace.”
“A powerhouse, she is our best player in the country, and she just showed today that she deserves to be called that,” the goaltender added.
The winning sequence began when Muller carried the puck from deep in Swiss territory, passing to teammate Ivana Wey before positioning herself perfectly in front of the Swedish net to convert the return feed.
“I was tired. I knew the legs were heavy. I saw a little opening and just hoped Ivana saw me and she did,” Muller explained.
“Made an unbelievable pass and I just got rid of it as fast as I can. And then I blacked out and seeing all my friends coming at me, tears in their eyes, that’s a feeling you cannot repeat,” she said.
For Muller, this bronze medal carries even greater significance than her first. Switzerland failed to medal in the previous Olympics four years ago, and she believes the current state of women’s hockey amplifies the achievement.
“Can’t compare. It’s a totally different story,” Muller said. “Different team, different role on the team, different status of women’s sports in the world. To do this while everybody’s watching means so much more.”
The forward credited her professional experience, including playing in Boston and the PWHL, for helping her maintain focus while remembering her passion for the game.
“Playing in Boston and the PWHL helped me a lot to be professional about everything and still knowing that this is what I love to do. This is an opportunity and we are the only ones that can make that happen,” she said.
