Mira Jungåker Ohio State, Digi Mart USA News (Sweden-based report from Ohio State University): Mira Jungåker is already being described as one of the best defensemen in the world. The 21-year-old, a former HV71 defenseman, is playing in her fifth World Championship for Sweden’s national team, Tre Kronor, after a strong start to the season.
Jungåker has been named the best defenseman in the NCAA, the top collegiate league in North America, for three weeks in a row. She has recorded 19 points in 10 games for Ohio State University.
“I am very happy here. It’s a fantastic team and fantastic opportunities around us when it comes to recovery and all the people around you,” Jungåker said.
She praised her coaches, saying, “They are absolutely fantastic over there. They push both me and the team to the max every single day.”
She is studying Sports Industry, with a minor in nutrition and health. “It’s very broad, but I enjoy it quite a lot,” she said.
Asked whether she has adopted anything distinctly American, Jungåker laughed and pointed to fast food. “It’s not really good, but you’ve kind of grown into it,” she said.
She described daily life as similar to high school, with studies and hockey filling the days, but said the mentality is different. “People are a bit more fearless about going after things.
That’s probably the biggest difference.”
After a strong Olympic tournament in which Tre Kronor finished fourth, Jungåker was named Swedish women’s hockey player of the year last season. The award citation described her as playing with “swag,” a cool style, and a strong FU mentality, a desire to constantly develop by handling setbacks.
“I’m fairly fearless as a player, and I also talk quite a lot off the ice. I like to take on maybe both the best and the biggest players on the ice.
I guess that’s what they mean,” Jungåker said with a smile.
Sweden’s new head coach, Erika Holst, spoke highly of her. “When we talk about Mira, we’re not talking about Sweden.
We’re talking about world class. She is a world-top defenseman and is showing it at the start of this season at Ohio State, one of the very best college teams,” Holst said.
Jungåker acknowledged that the North American professional league, the PWHL, is on her mind. “Of course it is.
At the same time, I’m right in the middle of my college years now, and I would never leave college early to go to the PWHL. I want to finish my studies and be part of Ohio State for four years.
So that’s about one and a half seasons left before the PWHL becomes relevant.”
She said no teams have contacted her yet. “Nobody has reached out.
In that way it’s actually quite nice, not having to think about it. Hopefully I won’t have to think about it until a possible draft.”
For now, her focus is on the World Championship in Denmark. Although Sweden has not won a World Championship medal since 2007, she is aiming high.
“We are a revenge-hungry Tre Kronor team that won’t be satisfied with a fourth-place finish this time. We’re going home with a medal.”
