The United States women's hockey team defeated Sweden 5-0 in the semifinal of the 2026 Winter Olympics on February 16, advancing to the gold medal game against Canada. Team USA improved to 6-0 in the tournament, outscoring opponents 31-1 overall. The victory featured strong offensive plays and a record shutout streak.
The U.S. women's hockey team secured a 5-0 victory over Sweden in the women's hockey semifinal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on February 16. This win propelled Team USA into the gold medal match against Canada on Thursday, following Canada's semifinal victory over Switzerland.
Team USA opened the scoring in the first period when forward Kelly Pannek assisted defenseman Cayla Barnes for a snapshot goal past Sweden goaltender Ebba Svensson Traff at 14:51, giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead. The Americans outshot Sweden 13-2 in the period but added to their lead in the second. With 10:51 remaining, Abbey Murphy passed to Hannah Bilka, who set up Taylor Heise for a one-timer, making it 2-0—Heise's second goal of the tournament. Less than a minute later, Kendall Coyne Schofield scored on a deflection for 3-0. Hayley Scamurra then tapped in a puck outside the crease just over a minute after that, extending the lead to 4-0.
Sweden coach Ulf Lundberg pulled Svensson Traff late in the second period, replacing her with Emma Soderberg, but Scamurra scored again shortly after to finalize the 5-0 score. Team USA's goaltender Aerin Frankel earned the shutout, contributing to a 331-minute, 23-second streak—the longest in Olympic women's hockey history. The U.S. has now recorded shutouts in their last five games.
Despite taking three penalties in the second period and being outshot 13-11 in that frame, Team USA's penalty kill held firm, with 20-year-old Joy Dunne playing a key role in disruptions. Defenseman Laila Edwards highlighted the team's confidence: “The energy is great. I think we’re getting better as the tournament goes along... We’ve dominated, but we’re not complacent.” Captain Hilary Knight emphasized the enjoyment: “It’s just a lot of fun... when you’re playing with skilled players, it’s even more so.”
The U.S. seeks redemption after a 3-2 loss to Canada in the 2022 gold medal game. Coach John Wroblewski noted, “Now that we're here, that's the bullseye.” Sweden, a young team with two prior shutouts in the tournament, will play for bronze.
