The 2019 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team arrived in Obihiro, Japan, on Wednesday night to compete in the 2019 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women's World Championship. The United States, which enters the tournament as the four-time defending champion, will compete in Group A alongside Canada, Russia and Sweden.
The roster features nine players that helped the U.S. earn gold at last year's IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia, including Hannah Bilka (Coppell, Texas), Hadley Hartmetz (Phoenixville, Pa.), Katy Knoll (Amherst, N.Y.), Abbey Murphy (Evergreen Park, Ill.), Maggie Nicholson (Minnetonka, Minn.), Casey O'Brien (Milton, Mass.), Dominique Petrie (Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Sydney Shearen (Hugo, Minn.) and Makenna Webster (St. Louis, Mo.). Petrie, who is serving as captain for Team USA, also helped the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team earn gold at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship in Zlin and Prerov, Czech Republic.
Team USA claiming gold at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship
Maura Crowell (Mansfield, Mass.), head coach of the University of Minnesota Duluth women’s ice hockey team, is the head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team. Crowell helped guide Team USA to gold at the 2018 competition in Dmitrov, Russia, as associate coach and in the 2016 competition in St. Catharines, Ontario, as an assistant coach.
All U.S. games at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship will be streamed live, with links to be provided on game days. For complete coverage of the 2019 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, click here.
NOTES: The IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship will be played for the 12th time in 2019 and will include teams from Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States ... Team USA, the four-time reigning world champion, captured gold in each of the first two years of the tournament (2008, 2009) and again in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The team has taken home the silver medal in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 ... Crowell is joined by assistant coaches Josh Sciba (Westland, Mich./Union College) and 2018 Olympic gold medalist Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) ... USA Hockey’s international council, chaired by Gavin Regan (Potsdam, N.Y.), vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams.
2019 U.S. Tournament Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (Local/ET)/RESULT | VENUE | LOCATION | Stream/U.S. Player Of The Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Jan. 6 | Russia Preliminary |
W, 3-2 | Obihiro Forest Ice Arena | Obihiro, Japan | Hannah Bilka |
| Mon., Jan. 7 | Canada Preliminary |
W, 3-2 | Obihiro Forest Ice Arena | Obihiro, Japan | Abbey Murphy |
| Wed., Jan. 9 | Sweden Preliminary |
W, 2-0 | Obihiro Forest Ice Arena | Obihiro, Japan | Skylar Vetter |
| Sat., Jan. 12 | Finland Semifinals |
W, 7-1 | Obihiro Forest Ice Arena | Obihiro, Japan | Katy Knoll |
| Sun., Jan. 13 | Canada Gold-Medal Game |
L, 2-3 OT | Obihiro Forest Ice Arena | Obihiro, Japan | Makenna Webster |
