MARCH 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM
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HE U.S. UNDER-18 WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM won a record-setting 10th gold medal at the 2026
IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship in Sydney and Membertou, Nova Scotia, in January with
a 2-0 victory over Canada.
The Americans completed the first-ever "perfect gold" at the U18 level, having never trailed or tied in a
game after 0-0. They outscored opponents 56-2 over the six games of the tournament.
Despite not facing much adversity throughout the tournament, the Americans were strong, steady and
prepared in the championship game. Canada outshot USA 15-7 in the first period and 38-27 overall, but
Bianca Birrittieri was flawless in net to earn the shutout.
"I tip my hat to Bianca (Birrittieri). She made some saves that stole momentum," said Courtney Kennedy, head coach of the
U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team.
Talla Hansen said playing in a sold-out arena with more than 5,000 fans screaming for Canada wasn't intimidating. Rather,
it hyped her up.
"It's Canada's home territory, but I like playing in opponents' territory. We play better when there are more people and when
the pressure is high. I honestly think it helped us in a lot of ways," Hansen said.
Birrittieri took pride in quieting the crowd by the time the final buzzer sounded.
We trust ourselves
and we trust
each other."
- JANE DALEY
W A T C H
GOLDEN: U.S. Knocks Off Canada,
2-0, to Win Under-18 Women's Worlds
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