The United States women’s hockey team continued its dominant run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, shutting out Sweden 5-0 in the semifinals on February 16 at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. With the victory, Team USA advances to the gold-medal game, setting up a highly anticipated rematch against archrival Canada on February 19. The Americans, who have bulldozed through the tournament, are now 6-0 and have outscored their opponents by a staggering 31-1 margin.
From the opening puck drop, it was clear that Sweden would have its hands full against a U.S. squad firing on all cylinders. Swedish fans inside the arena erupted in cheers just 11 minutes into the contest—not for a goal, but for their team’s first shot on net. The Americans’ relentless defense and suffocating forecheck kept the Swedes at bay, allowing just two shots in the opening period and only 12 in the second, the most the U.S. has allowed in any period this tournament. Still, none of the Swedish attempts found their way past American goaltender Aerin Frankel, who recorded her fifth consecutive shutout and made 23 saves in the contest.
“I’ve been on a lot of teams throughout my career, but there’s something special about this one,” said forward Kendall Coyne Schofield, reflecting on the chemistry and drive in the locker room. “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 scoring opened early in the first period, with defender Cayla Barnes finding the back of the net on a long-distance shot, assisted by Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein. That first-period goal continued a trend for Team USA, who have scored in the opening frame of every game this tournament. The Americans’ depth was on full display, as five different players tallied goals against Sweden.
The second period saw an offensive explosion from the U.S., with four goals in less than 11 minutes. Taylor Heise doubled the lead with a slick finish off a 2-on-1 breakaway, assisted by Hannah Bilka. Abbey Murphy then added to the tally with a tough-angle goal, also set up by Bilka. Kendall Coyne Schofield, initially credited for a goal that was later switched from Laila Edwards, made it 4-0 before Hayley Scamurra capped the period with the fifth American goal, beating Sweden’s backup goalie Emma Soderberg after the starting netminder, Ebba Svensson Traff, was pulled.
“I think we’re looking incredible,” Scamurra said after the win. “The whole tournament we’ve really been consistent. I don’t even think we’re at the peak, but I think our peak is getting that gold medal in hand for sure.”
With a commanding 5-0 lead entering the third period, the Americans eased off the gas but maintained their defensive discipline, not allowing Sweden a single goal. The U.S. has now not trailed or been tied in any game after the opening faceoff, joining an exclusive club that includes only the 2006 and 2010 Canadian women’s teams, who completed Olympic tournaments without ever falling behind.
The Americans’ only blemish came in their opening game against Czechia, when Barbora Jurickova scored on a breakaway immediately after exiting the penalty box—an odd, fluke goal that stands as the lone mark against Frankel and the U.S. defense in Milan. Since then, Team USA has been an impenetrable wall, extending their shutout streak to over 331 minutes of play, the longest in Olympic hockey history for either gender.
Sweden, meanwhile, entered the semifinals as a 28-to-1 underdog, according to BetMGM, but had already exceeded expectations in Milan. Placed in Group B—a move the Swedes viewed as an insult—they cruised through group play, winning all four games by three goals each, and then blanked Czechia in the quarterfinals. However, facing the Americans proved to be a different beast entirely. Coach Ulf Lundberg praised his team’s effort despite the loss, saying, “I’m proud of the work ethic and I’m proud of the way we could do the third period. So we have a lot of habits to take with us to the bronze medal game.”
Looking ahead, the gold-medal game promises to be an epic showdown between the sport’s two global powers. Canada secured its spot in the final with a narrow 2-1 victory over Switzerland, highlighted by Marie-Philip Poulin’s two goals, which set the all-time Olympic career goal record at 20. Poulin, nicknamed “Captain Clutch,” and U.S. captain Hilary Knight—who has announced these will be her final Olympics—are expected to headline what could be their last Olympic duel.
The Americans have had the recent edge in this storied rivalry, having beaten Canada 5-0 in group play just days earlier and winning seven straight matchups dating back to the world championships in April. But as Taylor Heise noted, “Nothing matters. It’s the gold medal game. Obviously, I’m going to say we’ve done great and we’ve had great success. You want to take that confidence and motivation, but you want to move forward. We’re going to look for us and we’re going do what we need to do on Thursday and hopefully come on top.”
For Sweden, the journey isn’t over. They’ll face Switzerland in the bronze-medal match, a rematch of their 2014 Sochi Games meeting. The Swedes are chasing their third Olympic medal and their first since the silver in Turin in 2006.
As for Team USA, with a record-breaking shutout streak, balanced scoring, and a shot at redemption after falling to Canada in the 2022 final, the stage is set for another chapter in Olympic hockey history. All eyes now turn to Thursday, where the Americans will look to capture their third gold medal and perhaps cement their legacy as the greatest U.S. women’s team ever assembled.