There’s something about young energy that really finds a way to succeed, especially on the biggest stage in sports. Switzerland had that young energy in spades. While they relied heavily on their top names for the majority of the Olympics, in a variety of ways that paid off — sending them home with bronze medals around their necks. Let’s get into their Milano Cortina experience.
Grade: A-
How the Team Finished
Coming into the tournament, I said there was a slim chance that Switzerland finished anywhere higher than fifth. This took into consideration how they’ve done at World’s the last few years, and how well other teams were performing in their group.
Boy, was I wrong.
Instead, the Swiss are coming home after a third-place finish, and were just a goal away from playing in the gold medal game. In the biggest moments, their biggest names stepped up, securing them bronze for the second time in Olympic history.
Overall, the Swiss had a successful tournament. Though they still finished fifth place in the group stage, their goal differential rose from a -21 in 2022 to just a -10 in 2026. Not to mention, they got much further in the medal round than in Beijing.
Altogether it was a great tournament for the team, led mainly by their alternate captain and their netminder. But, considering the contingent’s youth, this experience and the team’s development en route to winning the medal will be integral moving forward. I’d be shocked not to see it carry over into the next few international contests.
What Went Wrong
Well, offensively, things are still a bit of a question mark. Across all of their games, the team scored just nine goals. They never seemed to find their stride in their own zone. Out of the 10 teams, they finished sixth in scoring efficiency. They were last in power play percentage, with just one goal on 13 chances. Overall, they registered 120 shots on goal throughout seven games. That’s an average of 17.1 for, in each contest.
For reference, of the other three teams in the medal round the United States had 292 shots on goal, Canada 252, and Sweden 243.
There were also the frustrations on the penalty kill, which allowed five goals on 18 penalties for a success rate of 72.2%. While it wasn’t the worst out of the teams in Milan, it certainly didn’t help, especially when they finished with the eighth-best PK, in front of only Czechia and Japan.
What Went Right
The obvious answer here is that when they needed big goals, Switzerland got them. Whether it was a shootout winner against Czechia or in overtime in the bronze medal game, all it took was one well-placed puck for the Swiss to find themselves on top. The team didn’t give up, even when they were outplayed offensively.
There’s also the matter of their goaltending, which was just outstanding throughout the tournament. In 2022, goaltending was a concern for the Swiss, and it frankly didn’t compare to what the other teams were often delivering. This year, however, was a different story.
Both Saskia Maurer and Andrea Brändli were fantastic. Switzerland finished with the third-best combined save percentage (.938) and fourth-best goals against average (2.5). And while their shot suppression was nowhere to be seen, it meant the team finished with the most saves out of any team in the tournament — a whopping 273.
France, the next closest team in the statistic, played three less games and made 167 total saves.
Do I wish the defense had limited some of those chances? Of course. But at the end of the day, it allowed Brändli and Maurer to prove themselves. There is a lot of optimism moving forward if they can continue to perform in this way.
Top 3 Players
#1: Andrea Brändli
After missing the first three games due to being quarantined away from her teammates, Brändli was magnificent for the Swiss throughout her four appearances. The netminder, playing in her third Olympic games, backstopped her team to the tune of a .953 SV%, with 161 saves in just under 250 minutes played.
Most important were her 44 stops against Canada, and another 32 against Sweden in the bronze medal match. Brändli is a main reason that Switzerland was able to get within one goal of the gold medal game. She kept the team in it when it mattered most. While Maurer was also incredibly strong, adding Brändli back in the mix helped the Swiss get as far as they did.
#2: Lara Christen
I wanted to pick one player from each position. Though Christen is a defender, she also was a force offensively when needed. The defender consistently played heavy minutes for Switzerland, both in the round robin and most importantly in the medal rounds. Whenever she was needed, she stepped up.
On a team that scored just nine goals and allowed 18, Christen finished with a +4 rating, with two assists to boot. Now, I’m not a big fan of +/- as a major category. But, considering the extreme conditions and Switzerland’s overall lack of scoring, her number here is pretty impressive.
Her second assist is a moment that stands out. This was on the medal-winning overtime goal, when she was one of just three players on the ice for her team. She contributed in the moments that mattered most. After saying she was one to watch at World’s last Spring, I’m glad to have been proven right — at least in a somewhat roundabout way.
#3: Alina Müller
I try not to talk about Alina Müller too much, especially since there’s a ton of talent on this roster. But if there’s anything this tournament reinforced to me, it’s one thing: Alina Müller is one of the most clutch players this game has right now.
Not only did she score the only goal in Switzerland’s 1-0 win over Finland in the quarterfinals. Not only did she set the record for most goals all time at the Olympics for a Swiss player. Not only did she lead the team with four goals and six points. She also scored that aforementioned overtime winner to secure the bronze medal for her team. This is the second time she’s scored her team’s bronze medal-clinching goal in her career.
Switzerland has only won two bronze medals in women’s hockey.
This is a player that dictates things when she’s on the ice, there’s no secret about that. She did everything she possibly could to put her team in the best position to succeed. Oftentimes, that was partly why they succeeded. Her speed can keep up with — if not beat out — anyone. Plus, her skill can take over a shift, if not an entire game. Her leadership will propel Switzerland forward in the years to come. Müller’s only 27, and has already etched herself in the record books at the Olympic games. I have a feeling she’s going to do it again in four years. And imagine how great she’ll be then.