PWHL Draft Picks Open European Seasons With Strong Showings
Several players bound for PWHL training camps this fall made their marks as Sweden and Switzerland dropped the puck this weekend.
The European women's hockey calendar got underway this past weekend, and a handful of PWHL-connected players made immediate impressions.
In Sweden's SDHL, Vancouver Goldeneyes second-round pick Thea Johansson posted a goal and two assists for HV71 in a 3-2 overtime win over Linkoping. Her overtime helper set up Justine Reyes, who will attend PWHL San Jose training camp as a free agent invite. On the other side, Michelle Lowenhielm contributed two assists for Linkoping and is headed to Toronto Sceptres camp as a free agent.
New York Sirens second-round pick Elisa Holopainen was the standout in Frolunda's 5-2 win over Farjestad, firing 10 shots on net and adding two assists while playing the wing on the top line.
In a Brynas-MoDo matchup, Minnesota Frost second-round pick Viivi Vainikka scored a goal and added an assist for MoDo in a 4-2 loss. Brynas got a win in net from former PWHL player Klara Peslarova, while Anna Meixner, also a former PWHL player, scored and is captaining Brynas this season. Former PWHL defender Charlotte Akervik scored in her opener for Djurgarden and figures to be a free agent target when the SDHL season wraps.
In Switzerland, Las Vegas netminder Saskia Maurer stopped 19 shots in a 2-0 loss for SC Bern against HC Fribourg-Gotteron, then bounced back the next day as Bern rolled to a 6-2 win over Lausanne. Vancouver Goldeneyes defender Sini Karjalainen, on a short-term deal with EV Zug, picked up an assist in her debut. Mira Seregely, who has declared for the PWHL draft, put up two goals and four points in EV Zug's 7-2 win over Neuchatel Academy.
