USA Takes Bronze at World Bandy Championships
The U.S. women's national bandy team, which included former pro hockey players Allie Thunstrom & Kalli Funk, won bronze on Sunday at the world championship.
Women's hockey fans will recognize a few names on the bronze medal-winning United States team that took home bronze at the 2025 Bandy World Championship in Lidköping, Sweden.
Among those on the roster are former professional women's hockey players Allie Thunstrom and Kalli Funk. Funk had a goal and two assists in the bronze medal game, where the United States handily beat Finland 7-2.
Thunstrom, 36, spent five seasons in the NWHL/PHF from 2018-2023. She played many years with the Minnesota Whitecaps, including several seasons while the team was independent, and was a standout for the team in the 2019-20 season. She quickly became known for her speed and skill, highlighting her history in speed skating.
Though she's no longer playing pro hockey, she's still showcasing her speed on the ice, just in a different sport:
Kalli Funk, 32, also played three seasons with the Whitecaps, from 2017-2020. She also played with Göteborg HC for a season after four years of NCAA Division I hockey at Niagara and St. Cloud State.
The United States women's bandy team is based in Roseville, Minnesota.
The women's 2025 Bandy World Championship featured teams from Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States. Sweden led Pool A in the preliminary round, going 3-0 and outscoring its opponents 35-4. The United States went 2-0-1.
The United States lost 5-1 to Norway in the semifinal before beating Finland 7-2 in the bronze medal game. Sweden took the gold medal with a decisive 8-1 win over Norway on Sunday.
Bandy, like ice hockey, is played on an ice surface, but involves curved sticks and balls rather than pucks. Teams featuree 11 players, including a goaltender. You can learn more about bandy here.
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