Saturday, December 5, 2009

Sweden announces women's Olympic hockey roster

The Swedes have announced their women's hockey roster for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on Thursday.

Coach Peter Elander will count on the exact same players for the Olympics that competed in the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championship, where the team finished in fourth place.

While the team has five 18-year-olds, it also has veterans, like Gunilla Andersson, 34, who has played 271 games for Sweden and will be playing in her fourth Olympics.

All team members currently play in the Swedish league except for goalie Kim Martin, who plays American college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Sweden will open the tournament at the Vancouver Olympics with a game against Switzerland on February 13. Their other opponents in the preliminary round are Canada and Slovakia.

In their last Olympic appearance in 2006, the Swedes were the surprise team, beating USA in the semi-finals, 3-2, in shootout. It was the first, and only, time a European team made it to the final of an Olympic women's ice hockey tournament or the World Women's Championship, which is normally a North American affair. Sweden won the silver medal after a 4-1 loss to Canada in the gold medal game.

Sweden's Olympic roster:

Goalkeepers: Sara Grahn (Linköpings HC), Kim Martin (U. Minnesota Duluth, USA), Valentina Lizana (AIK Solna).

Defencemen: Frida Nevalainen (MODO Örnsköldsvik), Jenni Asserholt (Linköpings HC), Emilia Andersson (Segeltorps IF), Emma Eliasson (Brynäs Gävle), Gunilla Andersson (Segeltorps IF), Emma Nordin (MODO Örnsköldsvik).

Forwards: Elin Holmlöv (Segeltorps IF), Maria Rooth (AIK Solna), Erika Holst (Segeltorps IF), Tina Enström MODO Örnsköldsvik), Cecilia Östberg (Leksands IF), Isabelle Jordansson (AIK Solna), Erica Udén Johansson (Segeltorps IF), Katarina Timglas (AIK Solna), Pernilla Winberg (Segeltorps IF), Klara Myrén (Leksands IF), Frida Svedin Thunström (MODO Örnsköldsvik), Danijela Rundqvist (AIK Solna).

Source:ctvolympics.ca

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