Östersund, Sweden – The 2023 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team opens competition at the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship against Sweden on Sunday. It marks Team USA’s opening preliminary-round game and the first of back-to-back games.

Puck drop is set for 10 a.m. ET and can be viewed live on NHL Network. 

TODAY'S MATCHUP

Today's meeting marks the first preliminary-round game for Team USA at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship. Prior to the start of the championship, the U.S. faced Sweden on Jan. 4, in Sundsvall, in a pre-tournament scrimmage where the U.S. fell 1-0 on a late third-period goal. 

ALL-TIME VS. SWEDEN

The U.S. holds a 13-1-0-0 record all time against Sweden at the IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship and have out-scored the Sweden 82-11 in those 14 games. Most recently at the 2022 U18 Women's Worlds, the U.S. defeated Sweden twice, 6-1 in the preliminary round and 3-2 in the semifinals. 

IN THE PRELIMINARY ROUND

Team USA boasts a 40-2 all-time record in the preliminary round of the U18 WWC. The lone losses came in 2020 and 2017, both to Canada. The U.S. has gone a perfect 3-0 in the prelims 12 of 14 years, including at the 2022 championship. 

SCORERS RETURN

Seven players, Annelies Bergmann, Finley McCarthy, Josie St. Martin, Ava Lindsay, Maggie Scannell, Molly Jordan and Cassie Hall, return to this year's team from the 2022 U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team. The returners make up 43 percent of Team USA's scoring in 2022 and 80 percent of minutes played in goal.