The home team opened the best in the Saab arena and although Skellefteå AIK was able to break through with a sharp Nikita Bergmann chance, it was Linköping who scored the first goal of the match.

With 7.41 on the clock, Sara Hjalmarsson, with a control from the high castle after a shot by Olivia Sohrner, was able to ensure that LHC got a dream start to the clash.

After a couple of longer sequences in the offensive zone, AIK was then able to equalize to 1-1, through Isabella Pozzi, after a tangled situation. Second goal of the season for the offensively skilled back, who joined from the University of Saskatchewan before the season.

There were no more goals in the first period, and it turned out to be flattering numbers for the visitors in yellow.

– The first ten minutes of us are a bit like that, when we became very passive. We want to put high pressure with our first player, but became passive instead, says Lövgren, who is one of AIK’s assistant team captains.

Well into the second period, which was considerably more even in terms of play, the teams traded chances and the yellow-clad away team also had double opportunities in numerical superiority.

Despite chances, however, there were no more goals for AIK in the middle act, and it came to be a draw after 40 minutes played.

– Already in the second half of the first period, I think we step up, but from the start of the second period we have good speed on the skates and put a hell of a lot of pressure on them. It’s just the goals that are missing for us.

Already after 2.44 of the third period, AIK’s winger Ellen Lövgren was sent off, and in the numerical superiority, the home team was extremely close to taking the lead.

The best scoring chance went to Naomi Rogge, but the finish was just outside Camryn Drever’s goal frame.

At the same moment that Lövgren was back on the ice, AIK got into a 2 vs. 1 situation, but the end was just outside.

When the home team then got another chance in the powerplay, it was instead AIK who got an excellent opportunity to give the visitors the lead. All the way from the center zone, Jenna Pirttijärvi had a free ride to Ebba Svensson Träff, but the Finn, who scored her first goal in the last SDHL round, was unable to outsmart the home goalkeeper.

After the free-play, AIK had a couple more hot chances, but without finding the back of the net.

With 3.35 left in the game, offensive back Aino Karppinen hit the crossbar, and the margins thus continued to be on the home team’s side in the final period.

It ended up being a draw, 1–1, after regular time and the match thus ended up forcing an overtime decision.