Team USA won gold at the U-18 women's World Championships in Zug, Switzerland beating Czechia 5-1.
Team USA won gold at the U-18 women's World Championships in Zug, Switzerland beating Czechia 5-1.
It’s rare USA can win gold in an international competition without facing rival Canada, but that’s exactly what happened at the 2024 U-18 World Championships in Switzerland.
USA faced Czechia in the gold medal game taking a 5-1 win.
Maggie Scannell and Haley Box scored first period goals which would prove all the offense the Americans needed as Layla Hemp held down the fort in net for USA.
In the second period Czechia looked like there might be more magic remaining for another upset after beating the tournament favourites Canada in the semi-finals. The line of Anezka Cabelova, Tereza Plosova and Adela Sapovalivova connected on the powerplay with Sapovalivova continuing her heroic attempts to carry Czechia scoring her ninth of the tournament.
Kassidy Carmichael gave the Americans all they needed in the third to put them ahead for good scoring a put of goals before Ava Thomas rounded out the offense scoring USA’s fifth and final goal of the game.
Hemp recorded 19 saves in the win.
Last season USA finished with bronze after an upset to Sweden.
Czechia won their first ever silver medal in IIHF competition. They last medaled in 2014 at the U-18 World Championships.