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GAMEDAY: U.S. Opens U18 Women's Worlds vs. Sweden

By USAHockey.com, 01/06/18, 2:00AM EST

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Puck drop set for 11:30 a.m. ET; Watch live here

Live Stream


The U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team opens play today at the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship against Sweden at the Ice Palace in Dmitrov, Russia. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. local time/11:30 a.m. ET. Tonight's game can be seen via live stream on the embedded video above. Live game updates will also be provided on Twitter @USAHockey using the hashtag #U18WWC.

2018 IIHF UNDER-18 WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship is in its 11th year after the inaugural tournament was held in Calgary in 2008. Subsequently, the event was held in Fussen, Germany, in 2009, Chicago in 2010, Stocholm, Sweden, in 2011, Zlin, Czech Republic, in 2012, Heinola, Finland, in 2013, Budapest, Hungary, in 2014, Buffalo, New York, in 2015, St. Catharines, Ontario, in 2016 and Zlin & Prerov, Czech Republic in 2017. The U.S. and Canada have met in the gold-medal game in all 10 previous competitions, with the U.S. having a 6-4 advantage in those contests. 

The tournament features eight teams divided into two groups. Group A consists of the United States, Canada, Russia and Sweden, while Group B features the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Switzerland. The teams will play a round-robin within their groups, with the top two teams in Group A earning a bye to the semifinals. The third and fourth-place teams in Group A will square off against the top two teams in Group B in the quarterfinals, and the third and fourth-place teams from Group B will face each other in the relegation round.

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. SWEDEN: 9-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L)

OF NOTE: Team USA holds a six-game shutout streak vs. Sweden.

LAST MEETING: Jan. 8, 2017 - USA 4, SWE 0: Eight different players registered a point, and Lindsay Reed (New Vernon, N.J.) recorded a 23-save shutout to give Team USA a 4-0 victory over Sweden in last year's preliminary round.

SEEKING FOUR STRAIGHT GOLDS
Team USA enters the tournament seeking its fourth consecutive gold medal at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, having won gold at the 2017 competition in Zlin & Prerov, Czech Republic, 2016 in St. Catharines, Ontario and 2015 in Buffalo, New York. The U.S. also claimed gold at the 2011, 2009 and 2008 competitions.

REPEAT PERFORMERS
The U.S. returns seven players from the gold medal-winning 2017 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, including forward Taylor Heise (Lake City, Minn.), defenseman Lizi Norton (Orono, Minn.), defenseman Gracie Ostertag (Shakopee, Minn.), forward Dominique Petrie (Beverly Hills, Calif.), goaltender Lindsay Reed (New Vernon, N.J.), defenseman Ally Simpson (Frisco, Texas) and defenseman Madeline Wethington (Edina, Minn.). Reed started two games in goal at the 2017 competition, earning two shutout victories while stopping all 29 shots she faced. Heise, Ostertag and Wethington also helped the 2016 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team earn gold in St. Catharines, Ontario. 

LEADERSHIP GROUP
Taylor Heise is serving as team captain alongside alternate captains Gracie OstertagDominique Petrie and Madeline Wethington. All four players were part of the gold medal-winning 2017 U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team, while Heise, Ostertag and Wethington also helped the 2016 U.S. squad earn gold in St. Catharines, Ontario. 

BEHIND THE BENCH
Joel Johnson (White Bear Lake, Minn.), associate head coach of the University of Minnesota women’s ice hockey team, is the head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team for the fourth consecutive year after leading Team USA to gold medals at the 2017, 2016 and 2015 competitions. Maura Crowell (Mansfield, Mass.), head coach of the University of Minnesota Duluth women’s ice hockey team, is making her second U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team coaching appearance after serving as an assistant for the gold medal-winning 2015 team. Courtney Kennedy (Somerville, Mass.), associate head coach for the Boston College women’s ice hockey team, is appearing on staff for the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team for the fourth time. She helped the U.S. win gold at the 2017 competition, in addition to earning silver medals in 2014 and 2013.

U.S. Homepage

U.S. Roster

Sights & Sounds

Daily Team Notebook


U.S. Schedule

Date Opponent Location Result U.S. Player of the Game
Sat., Jan. 6 Sweden
Preliminary Round
Ice Palace
Dmitrov, Russia
W (OT), 2-1 Makenna Webster
Sun., Jan. 7 Russia
Preliminary Round
Ice Palace
Dmitrov, Russia
W, 5-3 Britta Curl
Tues., Jan. 9 Canada
Preliminary Round
Ice Palace
Dmitrov, Russia
W, 6-2 Taylor Heise
Fri., Jan. 12 Canada
Semifinals
Ice Palace
Dmitrov, Russia
W (SO), 4-3 Casey O'Brien
Sat., Jan. 13 Sweden
Gold-Medal Game
Ice Palace
Dmitrov, Russia
W, 9-3 Dominique Petrie

2018 U18 Women's Worlds News