Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1543978
"Being able to step up, make saves, shut the crowd down, make it quiet—it's awesome. They came in loud and well, they left quiet," she said. Despite their perfect trip to the top of the podium, it certainly wasn't a given that Team USA would skate away with gold. Ten mem- bers of the 2026 squad were part of the team that won silver at the 2025 tournament. The sting of that loss motivated them, explained Jane Daley. "After losing last year, we came back and we wanted to win. We had a little chip on our shoulder. Last year wasn't how we wanted it to be," Daley said. Erasing that memory had driven Team USA from pretty much the moment last year 's gold-medal game ended. The team was confident and believed in their ability to turn things around at the next World Championships, but they were given a boost in August when they won two of three games against Canada in their summer series. USA and Canada's U18s have been meeting for a three-game summer series in August since 2007. Winning two of three games against their rivals this past summer may have been the final piece of the puzzle to click in place for Team USA. They already believed in them- selves, but it provided a final confidence boost and reassurance that they could beat their rivals. It certainly helps that the group that went to Nova Scotia was largely composed of the same players from that series. International tournaments often leave little runway for teams to coalesce and find chemistry, partic- ularly for younger skaters competing at this level for the first time. Having spent several USA Hockey Player Development Camps and the summer series together helped the Americans find their footing more quickly. That comfort level was immediately evident on the ice in Membertou as Daley, Maggie Averill and Kylie Amelkovich each surpassed their points totals from the previous tourna- ment in USA's first game. 42 // MARCH 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM U . S . U N D E R - 1 8 W O M E N ' S N AT I O N A L T E A M W A T C H TOP PLAYS: USA | 2026 U18 #WomensWorlds Yrx7Hf6qxAA Emily Pohl taps in the gold-medal- winning goal.