Kärpät did not pass Grahn once during the more than 20 minutes of regular playing time.
Sara Grahn helped Luleå to level up and stretch the match into a shootout. EPA / AOP
The ice hockey men’s SM league team Kärpät played a practice match against Luleå HF from Lulea on Wednesday in Sweden and won 5–4 after the winning shots.
The peculiarity of the match was Luleå’s lineup problems, which led to the team changing goals at the end of the second period by Sara Grahn – The top goalkeeper of the Luleå women’s team and the regular face of the Swedish women’s national team.
Swedish Aftonbladet– magazine, Luleå had a lot of injuries and sick players. Goalkeepers Joel Lassinanti and Matthew Ward were sore. On top of this, Luleå’s under-20 men’s team had their own game. Therefore, Grahn was named as second baseman for the match.
According to Aftonbladet, Grahn’s appearance in the men’s game went well – to put it mildly. When Grahn was replaced between the posts, Kärpät led 4–2. In the third set, Luleå fought back. Kaleva-magazine, Grahn made a few impressive saves and pulled a longer shot, including Kärppien Trevor Mingoian in drive-through.
In the shootout, Luleå and Grahn finally had to give up.
– At first I was shocked, but also really happy that I was asked. This shows that they believe in me and that I can play at this level. Ever since I was a kid, I thought it would be cool to have an opportunity like this, but I never thought this would happen, Grahn said Expressenaccording to the magazine.