Team USA Advances to Gold Medal Game

MILAN – It’s interesting how closely Monday’s game resembled others the U.S. women’s hockey team has played in these Olympics.

Sure, the 5-0 win over Sweden on Thursday to reach the gold medal match didn’t seem close by most standards, and it certainly didn’t mirror a tight competitive game. Yet, the American women showed something akin to their typical form.

Notably, they haven’t allowed a goal since the second period against the Czech Republic five matches ago. This impressive streak of consecutive shutouts now stands at 331:23, a remarkable accomplishment for the Olympics.

So, what made this semifinal slightly more intense than previous encounters? Goaltender Aerin Frankel faced some challenges, ending the game with 21 saves. While the Swedes managed brief phases of competitiveness, the overall level of challenge waned quickly.

The score remained 1-0 until Kayla Burns scored ten minutes into the second half, finally shaking the Swedish team for good. Team USA’s key line of Hannah Birka, Abby Murphy, and Taylor Heise then scored back-to-back goals, increasing their lead to 3-0. First, the puck zipped from Murphy to Birka and then to Heise, whose shot skimmed off Swedish goalie Eva Svensson-Trough at the 29:09 mark. About five minutes later, Murphy found the top corner with a sharp wrist shot from a tricky angle.

Then, just 58 seconds after Murphy’s goal, Kendall Coyne-Schofield added a fourth point, and Laila Edwards took a shot on target, prompting Sweden to substitute Trough with Emma Soderbergh.

Haley Skumra scored a fifth goal before the second intermission, and the score held steady for the rest of the match.

This contest proved to be significantly more engaging compared to Team USA’s quarterfinals against Italy.

2026 Winter Olympics

Looking ahead, the likely opponent for the U.S. in the gold medal match is Canada, whom they already beat in the qualifying round with an impressive 5-0 record. If there’s a hint that this game could unfold differently, it might be due to Canada’s loss of captain Marie-Philippe Poulain, widely regarded as an elite player, because of an injury.

Yet, the U.S. team has consistently dominated in these Olympics, like a tank overpowering opponents with outdated weapons. The prospect of a gold medal loss to Canada, or even Switzerland, feels akin to unexpected upset victories like Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson or Appalachian State defeating Michigan.