Team USA Stifles Sweden, 3-0
VANTAA, Finland – Behind a 21-save shutout from goaltender Morgan Stickney (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), her second of the tournament, the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team defeated Sweden, 3-0, in the preliminary round of the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship at Tikkurilan Areena.
“I am really proud of the way this team played today,” said Liz Keady Norton (Boston, Mass.), head coach of the 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team. “Sweden came out swinging and we were able to play together as a team to get the win.”
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Sweden opened the game strong on the offensive end, recording a number of early chances, including a power-play opportunity, but goaltender Stickney held them off the scoresheet. The U.S. got their skates back under them towards the end of the period, outshooting Sweden, 14-6 in the first.
Despite the pace, neither team found the back of the net, entering the first intermission scoreless.
With 14:18 left in the second, Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.) saw the best look of the game up until that point, receiving a pass up the left wing before cutting to the middle of the ice, but Swedish goaltender Maja Helge corralled the low shot.
Back-to-back penalties gave Sweden 1:08 of a 5-on-3 opportunity, before a Swedish penalty sent the game to 4-on-3 for just over a minute. The U.S. could not capitalize on the ensuing 58-seconds of a power-play, keeping the game scoreless at the midway point of the game.
With 8:15 remaining in the middle frame, Caroline Averill (Wayland, Mass.) corralled a loose puck in the high slot, sliding it down to an open Christina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.), who deked the goalie and pushed it in for the first goal of the game.
In the opening minutes of the third, Evelyn Doyle (Needham, Mass.) doubled the U.S. lead while on the power play, cleaning up a puck that sat waiting on the goal line to go up, 2-0.
The U.S. kept pace in the closing minutes of the game, as Kylie Amelkovich (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) added an empty-net goal with 21 seconds remaining to close out the 3-0 victory.
Team USA wraps up preliminary-round play on Tuesday (Jan. 7) against tournament host Finland. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. EET (10 a.m. ET) and can be viewed on NHL Network.
NOTES: Christina Scalese was named U.S. Player of the Game … The U.S. outshot Sweden, 31-21… The U.S. was 1-4 on the power play, while Sweden was 0-4.
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Source: usahockey.com