USA beats Canada to win 10th IIHF Women’s Under-18 gold medal
The red, white and blue are back on top.
On Sunday, the United States outlasted Canada in an exciting finale of the 2026 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, beating their rivals 2-0 to win the gold medal for a record 10th time.
A flawless run to gold 🏆 Undefeated, never trailing and crowned champions. #U18WomensWorlds
Canada was forced to settle for silver for a record ninth time. In the three times the nation has hosted the tournament, it has finished second to Team USA each time.
The lead-up to the final in Sydney, Nova Scotia was billed as a battle between two high-scoring teams, as the U.S. had scored 54 goals through the semifinals, while Canada had potted 50. However, it was Team Canada that brought the offensive pressure. The host nation fired 15 shots on goal in the first period, but failed to beat goaltender Bianca Birrittieri, with Emily Phol scoring for the fourth game in a row to give the Americans the early lead.
Canada didn’t let up the pressure in the middle frame, but still failed to find the back of the net. Harvard commit Lindsay Stepnowski managed to extend the U.S.’ lead with her sixth of the tournament.
Big Goals in Big Moments, ft. Lindsay Stepnowski 😎 #U18WomensWorlds
That proved to be more than enough. Birrittieri was locked in and ended up turning away all 38 shots she faced in the win. The decision to start the Providence commit on back-to-back days might’ve puzzled some, especially with the team having Morgan Stickney, who led the team to the gold medal game last year. However, head coach Courtney Kennedy saw how good Birrittieri was against Canada during the Summer Series this past August, and the decision paid off.
The U.S. never trailed once in the tournament, and with the play of Birritieri and Stickney, the team allowed just two goals. It was truly one of the most dominant performances by a team in the event’s history.
While she didn’t find her name on the scoresheet, American forward Jane Daley earned accolades after the final, as she was named the forward of the tournament, as well as the event’s most valuable player. The 16-year-old led the tournament with 17 points, setting a new U-18s record with 12 goals.
USA captain Maggie Averill was named Best Defender, as the third-year U-18 veteran led all defenders with 14 points.
Earlier in the day, Czechia defeated Sweden, 4-3, to take the bronze medal for the second year in a row. The Czechs became the first European nation to win a medal three years in a row.