Sweden looks to improve at U18 World Championship

After last year’s third-place finish, Team Sweden will seek to advance on the podium at this year’s IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in the Czech Republic. Head coach Ylva Lindberg returns for her second tour of duty behind the bench; under her leadership last year the team won their sixth U18 bronze.

Forward Celine Tedenby of MODO Hockey, age 17, has shown notable improvement during her previous U18 Championship appearances. In 2015 she recorded one goal and one assist over five games played; last year she had four goals and two assists in six games. She’ll be joined by two MODO teammates, forward Felizia Wikner-Zienkiewicz and defenseman Paula Bergström.

While last year’s top-scoring defenseman Jessica Adolfsson is no longer eligible for U18 play,  the Swedish blue line still carries decent scoring power from the team’s only two right-handed shots, Wilma Germundsson-Wäng and Maja Nyhlén-Persson. Germundsson-Wäng has 17 points in 16 games played this season with Södertälje SK in Division I, while Nyhlén-Persson has 14 points in 25 games with Lekskands IF in the SDHL. Last year’s team captain Solveig Neunzert.

Team Sweden boasts one of the tournament’s tallest goalkeepers in 16-year-old Anna Amholt. At just under six feet tall, she’ll be a formidable presence in her U18 WWC debut. She’ll be joined by third-year U18 veteran Sofia Reiderborn.

Team Sweden will open the U18 World Championship on January 7 against Team Canada.