Olympics hockey semifinals: Team USA dominates Sweden, will play for gold against Canada

MILAN — Eleven minutes into their staff’s semifinal conflict against the juggernaut U.S. girls’s hockey staff, Swedish followers inside Santagiulia Arena roared with approval.

A objective? Sustained stress? An influence play? Nope. The Swedes had simply lastly registered their first shot on objective.

Sweden did handle to fireside extra pucks within the path of the American internet over the course of Monday’s lopsided semifinal, however the Swedes didn’t come any nearer to difficult the U.S. than every other opponent in Milan has. Five completely different American gamers scored and goaltender Aerin Frankel recorded her staff’s fifth consecutive shutout because the U.S. thrashed Sweden 5-0 to advance to Thursday’s gold-medal match against both Canada or Switzerland.

America’s neighbor to the north is the reigning Olympic champion, however not even they managed to place up a lot of a combat against the U.S. in group play. Playing with out injured captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada fell meekly to the Americans 5-0. It was the primary time Canada had been shutout in the course of the Olympics earlier than.

That recreation was indicative of how these Olympics have gone. The Americans have bulldozed to the gold-medal match by outscoring their opponents 31-1.

The solely objective the U.S. has surrendered was a flukey one in its opening recreation of group play. Czechia’s Barbora Jurickova emerged from the penalty field at the very same second the U.S. coughed up possession of the puck, producing a breakaway alternative that resulted within the lone blemish against the Americans’ document.

“I’ve been on a lot of teams throughout my career, but there’s something special about this one,” American ahead Kendall Coyne Schofield stated. “I think it’s ultimately how enjoyable it is to be in that locker room and how everyone is willing to do whatever it takes for this team, no matter what the role is.”

The Swedes weren’t anticipated to achieve the ladies’s hockey medal spherical, however they arrived in Milan with some extent to show. In group-stage play, Olympic organizers positioned the 5 highest-ranked groups in Group A and the remaining 5 groups in Group B. Sweden considered its Group B standing as an insult, believing that it belonged among the many medal hopefuls.

Over its opening 5 video games in Milan, Sweden gained over any non-believers. It cruised via group play, successful all 4 video games by three targets apiece. Then, it took benefit of its first crack at a higher-ranked opponent, shutting out bronze-medal contender Czechia within the quarterfinals.

And but as spectacular because the Swedes have been in Milan, their semifinal problem against the U.S. was a distinct beast. Sweden was a 28-to-1 underdog to win the sport outright, based on BetMGM. A Swedish victory would have been the ladies’s hockey equal of the New York Giants helmet-catching the New England Patriots or Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson.

It didn’t occur, and as anticipated the U.S. strikes on to play for gold, which they final gained in 2018.

With a 5-0 lead at six minutes remaining, it seems Team USA will advance to the gold medal recreation. They will face the winner of Canada-Switzerland, which will start at 3:10 p.m. ET.

A possible USA vs. Canada recreation for the gold medal is precisely what girls’s ice hockey followers of these nations would’ve hoped for going into the 2026 Winter Olympics.

If you’re simply checking in, Team USA has a 5-0 lead over Sweden as their semifinal match goes to the third interval. The U.S. will play for the gold medal in the event that they advance.

Cayla Barnes, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne and Hayley Scamurra have lit the lamp for Team USA, which has notched 24 pictures on objective.

Not a shock with a 5-0 lead, however USA is outshooting Sweden after two durations. However, the benefit isn’t as massive as could be guessed with Team USA tallying 24 pictures to Sweden’s 15.

Early within the second interval, it seemed as if Sweden was going to make it a recreation. After being outshot 13-2 within the first interval, Sweden got here out attacking early within the second.

Team USA held as much as the early onslaught earlier than discovering its offensive stride because the interval went on. Taylor Heise broke via to make it 2-0 for the Americans.

After a couple of minutes with no scores, Team USA determined to go on a scoring barrage. The staff scored three targets in three minutes, one in all which got here proper after Sweden modified it goalie.

Team USA lead 5-0 heading into the third interval. A win would put the Americans within the gold-medal recreation.

Abbie Murphy picked up a late penalty within the second interval for goalie interference. With Sweden goaltender Emma Soderberg behind the web, Murphy crashed into her, inflicting Soderberg to hit the ice.

There was a delayed penalty, and Murphy was referred to as for a penalty as soon as Team USA took management of the puck. But Sweden was additionally referred to as for a penalty after Jessica Adolfsson retaliated against Murphy.

Team Sweden is scrambling after a wonderful begin from Team USA. With Sweden trailing 4-0 within the second interval, the staff determined to swap goaltenders.

Ebba Svensson Traff was faraway from the sport by Sweden. She was changed by Emma Soderberg.

It didn’t take lengthy for the Americans to attain on Soderberg. With 2:01 left, Hayley Scamurra managed a objective to place Team USA up 5-0.

A defensive breakdown results in one other objective for Team USA. With the Americans scrambling to take management of a puck deep in Sweden’s territory, Abbie Murphy discovered an open hole within the protection.

Murphy discovered herself huge open when the puck arrived, after which drilled a shot previous Sweden’s goaltender to go up 3-0.

It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Laila Edwards acquired in on the motion. Shortly after Murphy’s rating, Edwards acquired one in all her personal to make it 4-0 with beneath 4 minutes to go within the second interval.

Here’s the objective that put Team USA up 2-0 within the second interval.

Hannah Bilka discovered Taylor Heise, who managed to rattle the puck across the goalkeeper’s pads to select up the objective.

Team USA discovered itself at a drawback, however managed to outlive once more. Another Sweden energy play didn’t end in a rating, permitting the Americans to carry their 2-0 lead within the second interval.

Team USA almost scored regardless of being down a participant, as they managed a breakaway. Sweden’s goalkeeper got here up with a save, nonetheless, protecting it 2-0.

Sweden has closed the hole in pictures on objective, and has performed higher within the second interval, however Team USA’s offense has confirmed too relentless up to now.

Sweden managed two pictures however Team USA was in a position to survive Sweden’s energy play within the second.

Shortly after the penalty, Team USA almost scored its second objective.

It wasn’t lengthy earlier than the Americans transformed, although. After a near-offsides penalty, Hannah Bilka discovered Taylor Heise on a two-on-one. Heise’s shot rattled off Sweden’s goaltender’s pads earlier than dropping into the objective for the second rating of the sport.

Roughly six minutes into the second interval, Sweden seems to have discovered its footing. After registering simply two pictures within the first interval, Sweden shortly upped that quantity to eight pictures early within the second quarter.

Sweden really leads the way in which in pictures early within the interval, with a 6-2 benefit.

On high of that, Team Sweden simply went on an influence play, and will look to tie issues up 1-1 whereas they’ve the benefit.

After a fast break, the second interval is underway. Sweden confirmed some life instantly, selecting up their third shot of the sport early within the interval.

After one other shot by Sweden, there was almost a combat on the ice. Cooler heads prevailed, however Sweden seems a lot feistier to start out the second interval.

The first interval couldn’t have gone a lot better for Team USA. The Americans lead 1-0 after outshooting Sweden 13-2 within the interval.

Team USA dominated the possession within the interval, spending a whole lot of time placing stress on Sweden’s protection. Sweden, to their credit score, principally acquired the job finished. An early coal by Cayla Barnes put Team USA up, however Sweden was in a position to get stops the remainder of the interval.

While Sweden didn’t have many moments on offense in the course of the interval, the staff threatened late, almost scoring on their second shot of the sport.

While it was an encouraging begin for the Americans, Sweden’s late rally was a reminder that it’s nonetheless a one-score recreation. Team USA will have to convert on extra of its pictures within the second interval if it needs to win this one comfortably.

Roughly three quarters of the way in which via the primary interval, and Team USA is dominating Sweden. While the U.S. is up simply 1-0, Team USA has a large edge in pictures on objective.

With 6:37 to go within the interval, Team USA has 9 pictures on objective. Sweden has only one.

Team USA has finished an amazing job attacking Sweden’s protection and stopping the Swedes from clearing the puck in their very own territory. Sweden will have to discover a technique to shut that deficit if the staff needs to drag off a win over the Americans.

Here’s the shot that gave Team USA the early lead over Sweden.

Team USA is off to a incredible begin against Sweden. With 14:51 left within the first interval, Cayla Barnes hit on a long-range shot to place the U.S. up 1-0.

It was a dominant possession for Team USA, who spent a whole lot of time deep in Sweden’s territory earlier than the objective. Despite Sweden’s greatest efforts, the staff couldn’t clear the puck. Team USA moved the puck nicely in the course of the possession earlier than Barnes linked on the objective.

Here we go! Team USA and Sweden are formally underway within the battle of the unbeaten groups. The winner will advance to the gold-medal recreation. The loser will play for bronze.

Team USA gained the preliminary face off however play stopped shortly after an icing name seven seconds into the competition.

Knight is on the verge of constructing historical past, tied for probably the most Olympic targets in girls’s hockey at 14.