Emma Söderberg

Emma Martine Söderberg (born 18 February 1998) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for PWHL Boston of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and member of Sweden women's national ice hockey team. She played college ice hockey with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey program.

Playing career
Söderberg developed in the youth department of MODO Hockey in her hometown Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. From 2013 to 2016, she tended goal for MODO's boys teams in the U16 Elit and under-16 Swedish Championship (SM).

She made her women's senior league debut with the women's representative team of MODO Hockey in the Riksserien (rebranded as the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) in 2016) during the 2014–15 season. In 54 Riksserien/SDHL games across four seasons with MODO, she achieved a 33–21 win–loss record and averaged a save percentage of .933 (93.3%) and a goals against average (GAA) of 1.69. In her final season with MODO, she recorded a 1.55 GAA and .940 (94%) save percentage in nineteen games played.

College
Söderberg joined the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women's ice hockey team for the 2018–19 season. She played in five games during her freshman year, posting a win–loss-overtime record of 3–1–0 and stopped 94 out of 103 shots for a .913 (91.3%) save percentage and 2.09 GAA. As a junior during the 2020–21 season, Söderberg's .951 (95.1%) save percentage, 1.34 GAA, and five shutout games were all within the top three of all NCAA women's ice hockey goaltenders, and she received both the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Goaltending Champion statistical title and the Goaltender of the Year award. It was the first time that Minnesota Duluth had won the WCHA Goaltender of the Year title. That year, Minnesota Duluth reached the Frozen Four semifinal round of the 2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, where they fell to the Northeastern Huskies 3–2 in overtime. Söderberg made 44 saves during the match before allowing the game-winning goal on a shot from Northeastern skater Skylar Fontaine.

Söderberg was second in the WCHA with 13 wins, four shutouts, and a .920 (92%) save percentage in the 2021–22 at the time that her season was interrupted due to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Professional
Upon graduating from Duluth, Söderberg signed a two-year contract with the Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). When the PHF dissolved, Söderberg entered the 2023 PWHL Draft, where she was taken in the tenth round, 58th overall, by PWHL Boston. She signed a two-year contract with Boston on 31 October 2023.

International play
As a junior player with the Swedish national under-18 team, Söderberg participated in the IIHF U18 Women's World Championships in 2015 and 2016. She backstopped Sweden to a bronze medal at the 2016 tournament and was recognized as best goalie of the tournament by the directorate, in addition to being selected to the media all-star team and named a top-three player for Sweden by the coaches.

After helping the Sweden women's national ice hockey team during their qualification rounds, Söderberg was selected to goaltend for the team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

She represented Sweden at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship where she recorded a 2.58 GAA and a .924 (92.4%) save percentage in five games and was named to the All-Star team.

Personal life
Söderberg was born on 18 February 1998 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden to Ove and Karin Söderberg. Her father is a former professional ice hockey forward who played in the Division 1 (Swedish men's ice hockey, 1975–1999), the second-tier of Swedish men's ice hockey, during 1988 to 1999.

International
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