The U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team faces Finland this afternoon in the opening game of the 2020 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship. Puck drop is set for 4:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET) and the contest can be streamed live here.
In the 2019 tournament in Obihiro, Japan, the U.S. went 4-0-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and earned a silver medal to extend its unprecedented medal streak in tournament play to 12-straight IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships.
GAMEDAY - The U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team opens play today at the 2020 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship against Finland at the Ice Rink Vlado Dzurilla in Bratislava, Slovakia. Puck drop is slated for 4:30 p.m. local time/10:30 a.m. ET. The matchup will be streamed live on IIHF.com. Live game updates will also be provided on Twitter @USAHockey using the hashtag #U18WWC.
AGAINST FINLAND - The U.S. holds a 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record against Finland all-time in IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship play. The two teams last met on Jan. 12, 2019 in the preliminary round of the 2019 tournament in Japan, where the U.S. earned a 7-1 win. The U.S. outshot the Finnish, 36-18, and nine skaters tallied points in the victory, including Makenna Webster (St. Louis, Mo.), who notched a goal and an assist.
CAPTAIN AMERICA - Maggie Nicholson (Minnetonka, Minn.) is serving as team captain alongside alternate captains Lacey Eden (Annapolis, Md.) and Makenna Webster (St. Louis, Mo.). All three captains competed at the 2019 Under-18 Series against Canada in Lake Placid, New York last August.
REPEAT PERFORMERS - The roster features 10 players who helped the U.S. earn silver at last year’s IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Obihiro, Japan, including three-time U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team members Abbey Murphy (Evergreen Park), Maggie Nicholson (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Makenna Webster (St. Louis, Mo.), the team's leading scorer at last year's tournament. In addition, Lacey Eden (Annapolis, Md.), Caroline Harvey (Pelham, N.H.), Clara Van Wieren (Okemos, Mich.), Skylar Vetter (Lakeville, Minn.), Audrey Wethington (Edina, Minn.), Haley Winn (Rochester, N.Y.) and Kiara Zanon (Fairport, N.Y.) return to the team for the second-straight season.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - Thirteen players are making their IIHF world-championship play debuts, including forwards Emma Gentry (Alpena, Mich.) and Kirsten Simms (Plymouth, Mich.) and defenseman Rachel Golnitz (Wyoming, Minn.), who are representing the U.S. for the first time in their careers.
2020 U.S. Tournament Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (Local/ET)/Result | Venue/Location | Stream/U.S. Player of the Game | Game Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurs., Dec. 26 | Finland Preliminary |
W, 4-1 | Ice Rink Vlado Dzurilla Bratislava, Slovakia |
Kiara Zanon | Stats |
| Fri., Dec. 27 | Russia Preliminary |
W, 1-0 | Ice Rink Vlado Dzurilla Bratislava, Slovakia |
Ella Huber | Stats |
| Sun., Dec. 29 | Canada Preliminary |
L, 1-2 | Ice Rink Vlado Dzurilla Bratislava, Slovakia |
Makenna Webster | Stats |
| Wed., Jan. 1 | Russia Semifinals |
W, 3-0 | Ice Rink Vlado Dzurilla Bratislava, Slovakia |
Lacey Eden | Stats |
| Thu., Jan. 2 | Canada Gold-Medal Game |
W, 2-1 (OT) | Ice Rink Vlado Dzurilla Bratislava, Slovakia |
Skylar Vetter | Stats |
More U18 Women's World Championship News
Keady Norton Returns To Coach 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team
- By USA Hockey 03/01/2024, 11:45am EST
Gold Medal A Long Time Coming For Maggie Scannell And Josie St. Martin
- By Nicole Haase 01/15/2024, 2:30pm EST
U.S. Claims Gold Medal in Under-18 Women’s World Championship
- By USA Hockey 01/14/2024, 4:45pm EST
2024 U18 WWC Insider | WORLD CHAMPIONS!!
- By USA Hockey 01/14/2024, 3:30pm EST
GAME DAY: Team USA Faces Czechia In Gold Medal Game
- By USA Hockey 01/14/2024, 6:00am EST