"I'm just really proud," says scoring queen Viivi Vainikka in the SDHL's YouTube broadcast.
The Finn praises the team:
"We knew we could go all the way. We have so much fun together. We love each other on this team," says Vainikka.
There was a sense of longing for gold in the air in a nearly packed Monitor ERP arena in Gävle.
Brynäs had never won a Swedish women's ice hockey championship before. But after two straight victories in the final series against reigning champion Frölunda, the golden dream was now close. All that was needed was a home win, in the third game of the best-of-five, to end the series and secure the trophy for the Gävle team.
No gold rush
But it started shakily. Brynäs lost easy pucks in their own zone and couldn't get it going offensively at all. After eleven minutes, the cold shower came. Frölunda applied pressure and national team player Felizia Wikner-Zienkiewicz gave the Gothenburg team the lead.
But Brynäs showed no panic.
The home team immediately equalized through the team's top scorer, Finnish Viivi Vainikka. Her sixth goal of the playoffs. Just before the first intermission, 19-year-old Tilde Sundnäs Grillfors scored to put Brynäs ahead and the turnaround was thus a fact.
However, midway through the second period, the home crowd was dealt another blow. After Brynäs controlled the situation, Frölunda were able to break through and tie the game at 2–2.
Any gold rush in Brynäs this time? Possibly in the crowd, but not on the ice. The Frölunda players barely had time to finish celebrating before Vainikka scored the 3–2 goal – her second of the match.
Large audience in Gävle
Vainikka left Luleå for Brynäs ahead of this season and was involved in knocking out her old club in the semi-finals during Brynäs' road to the final.
In the third period, Brynäs continued to dominate and there was no question about where the season's championship would end up. The score was 6–2 and at the final whistle, wild scenes of joy erupted both on the ice and among the 6,851 spectators in the stands.
After seven final losses, the Gävle club is the best in Sweden.
"It's so damn nice. We deserve this. We've been fighting like crazy all season. I think we're taking another step in the playoffs," says forward Hanna Thuvik.
