Sarah Grahn got poked last year.
Now, the 33-year-old is back as the WC goalie in the women’s crowns.
– I was a little shocked, you say.
Many raised their eyebrows when Sarah Grahn, who had been the number one goalkeeper in the women’s crowns for several years, was not selected for the August World Cup tournament.
A whole season has passed for the club team since then, and in April it’s time for the World Cup in Canada.
And now Lulia’s golden guard is back. Sportbladet meets her in Arlanda the day before she leaves the national team.
– I was a little shocked at first, I have to be honest. in a very positive way. I agreed very quickly. It was incredibly interesting, she says of the conversation Confederate commander Ulf Lundberg had.
Do you think the national team was a closed season?
No, I didn’t think much of that part. I struggled to prove that I am a good goalkeeper. I hoped the opportunity would come and it did.
Played big in the playoffs
After sharing the first scoop with Frieda Axel during the regular season, Sarah Grahn was the clear number one in the playoffs. She allowed seven goals in seven games and had a 95.33 save percentage.
— I had a very good playoff run, admits Grahn, who otherwise thinks performance during the season has been a bit “up and down.”
– But you also have to look at the whole. I’ve only lost one full-time game this season, so I should have had a good season somewhere too when you think that way.
Lundberg rating: “Best in Europe”
Union captain Ulf Lundberg considers Sarah Grahn “the best goalkeeper this side of the Atlantic at the moment”.
It was a very good second half of the season. In the nearly three years I’ve been here, I’ve worked to borrow and return a national team jersey. It’s not much weirder than that, he says of choosing to summon Grahn.
Other goaltenders on the team are last year’s WC goalie Emma Soderbergh, 25, and Tendra Holm, 21, who both play North American college hockey on a daily basis.
– I know Emma did great tournaments when I wasn’t there, so the competition here is tough, says Sarah Grahn and continues:
– I’ll fight as much as I can and then we’ll see if I can play any matches or not. Even if I don’t, I will support everyone who plays one hundred percent.
The World Cup will be held from April 5-16 in Brampton, Canada. The women’s crowns play for the first time against Germany on Thursday 6 April.