usa hockey olympics: U.S. women rout Sweden, sweep into gold-medal rematch with Canada
The U. S. women's hockey team continued its iron-clad run at the Winter Games, carving a 5-0 semifinal victory over Sweden in Milan to advance to the gold-medal game. The Americans have outscored opponents 31-1 and arrive at Thursday's 1: 10 p. m. ET championship with momentum and an Olympic-record defensive stinginess.
Semifinal blowout: how the game unfolded
The Americans set the tone early, striking just over five minutes into the contest when Cayla Barnes snapped a wrist shot from above the right faceoff circle past Sweden's goaltender. That early goal erased any hopes of a classic upset: Sweden, which had not been expected to reach the medal round, registered its first shot on goal only around the 11-minute mark of the opening period and never found sustained traction.
Five different U. S. players found the back of the net over the game: Cayla Barnes, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra. The balanced attack underlined the roster depth that has carried the Americans through group play and the knockout rounds. Sweden had shown resilience earlier in the tournament, sweeping its group and upsetting higher-ranked opposition in the quarterfinals, but the semifinal proved to be a different level of competition.
Swedish coach Ulf Lundberg captured the mismatch with a wry assessment after the game, suggesting the U. S. dominance made scoring feel as unlikely as needing plexiglass in front of the net to stay competitive. The Swedes will now shift focus to the bronze-medal game, where they'll meet the loser of the other semifinal.
Defense first: Frankel, shot blocking and an historic shutout streak
Goaltender Aerin Frankel finished with a clean sheet, stopping every shot she faced as the U. S. recorded its fifth consecutive shutout. The Americans haven't allowed a goal in 16 straight periods — a streak that measures out to more than 331 minutes without conceding — and their collective defensive work has been as decisive as their scoring punch.
Frankel praised the team's shot-blocking and structure after the game, pointing to teammates who take away cross-ice options and make her job simpler. Veteran voices in the locker room echoed that sentiment: the group dynamic, role acceptance and attention to detail have produced a unit in which every player contributes to both ends of the ice.
The only blemish on the U. S. ledger was an early fluky goal in the opening game of group play; since then, the Americans have been nearly flawless, combining disciplined defense with an aggressive attack that has scored at least five goals in every outing so far.
What’s next: a familiar gold-medal rematch with Canada
Thursday's 1: 10 p. m. ET gold-medal game will pit the U. S. against Canada, the reigning Olympic champion. The two North American powers have a storied rivalry in women's Olympic hockey and have met for gold in the majority of tournaments since the sport's Olympic debut. Canada reached the semifinal and will face Switzerland for a berth in the final, but it is worth noting the Americans had already blanked Canada 5-0 earlier in Milan — the first time Canada had been shut out in Olympic women's hockey.
Players and coaches are underscoring the need to reset between games. Defender Lee Stecklein noted that, despite the dominant run, the championship contest will present new challenges and require the same focus and preparation that got the team this far. For the rest of the field, the U. S. performance in Milan is a reminder that this iteration of the national team is operating at a level that blends skill, depth and defensive discipline — a combination that makes them heavy favorites but still leaves room for the pressure and unpredictability that come with a one-game gold-medal finale.
