MILAN — Just eleven minutes into the semifinal showdown against the dominant U.S. women’s hockey squad, the Swedish contingent at Santagiulia Arena erupted in cheers.
Were they celebrating a score? Intense offensive pressure? A power play opportunity? Surprisingly, no. The Swedish team had merely managed to land their initial shot on target.
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Although Sweden managed more attempts on the American net throughout Monday’s heavily one-sided semifinal, they ultimately posed no greater threat to the U.S. than previous competitors in Milan. With five distinct American players finding the net and goaltender Aerin Frankel securing her team’s fifth consecutive shutout, the U.S. convincingly defeated Sweden 5-0, thereby progressing to Thursday’s 1:10 p.m. ET gold-medal game against Canada.
“We put on a show every time we’re out there because we love to play hockey,” U.S. forward Taylor Heise said. “From the outside, you can’t even understand how thoroughly people do their jobs in that locker room. And that’s the reason why we’re coming out and winning on a daily basis.”
“Today, maybe we needed a plexiglass in front of our net to stay in the game,” Swedish coach Ulf Lundberg said.
Even Canada, the reigning Olympic champions and America’s northern neighbor, offered little resistance against the U.S. during group play. Absent their injured captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada succumbed easily to the Americans with a 5-0 loss, marking their inaugural shutout defeat in Olympic history.
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That particular game served as a clear illustration of the Americans’ dominant run throughout these Olympics. They have steamrolled their way to the gold-medal match, boasting a staggering 31-1 goal differential against their adversaries and maintaining a clean sheet for 16 consecutive periods.
The solitary goal conceded by the U.S. occurred in a somewhat fortuitous manner during their opening group stage game. Barbora Jurickova of Czechia capitalized when she exited the penalty box precisely as the U.S. lost control of the puck, creating a breakaway that led to the only mark against the Americans’ otherwise pristine record.
“I’ve been on a lot of teams throughout my career, but there’s something special about this one,” American forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said. “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.”
Although Sweden wasn’t widely tipped to advance to the women’s hockey medal rounds, they came to Milan with a strong desire to demonstrate their capabilities. During the group stage, Olympic organizers allocated the top five ranked teams to Group A, with the remaining five in Group B. Sweden interpreted their placement in Group B as a slight, convinced they deserved to be considered serious medal contenders.
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Across their initial five matches in Milan, Sweden successfully convinced skeptics of their prowess. They navigated the group stage with ease, triumphing in all four games by a margin of three goals each. Subsequently, they seized their first opportunity against a higher-ranked adversary, blanking bronze-medal favorite Czechia in the quarterfinals.
Despite Sweden’s commendable performance in Milan, their semifinal encounter with the U.S. presented an entirely different challenge. BetMGM listed Sweden as a significant 28-to-1 underdog to claim an outright victory. A win for Sweden would have been akin to monumental upsets in sports history, like the New York Giants’ “Helmet Catch” against the New England Patriots or Buster Douglas’s shock knockout of Mike Tyson.
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The U.S. swiftly signaled that any upset was out of the question, scoring a first-period goal just past the five-minute mark. Cayla Barnes’ wrist shot, launched from above the right faceoff circle, found its way past Swedish goaltender Svensson Traff on the glove side. A congested area in front of the net likely obstructed Traff’s view of the puck.
The score remained 1-0 heading into the second period, but then the floodgates opened.
The U.S. capitalized on a 2-on-1 rush, with Hannah Bilka driving towards the net before setting up Taylor Heise, whose shot inexplicably found its way past Traff. Shortly thereafter, Abbey Murphy blasted a shot from close quarters to make it 3-0, beating Traff from a narrow angle. By the conclusion of the second period, the score stood at 5-0, following additional goals from Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra.
The Americans had embarked on their Milan journey with a singular “gold-or-bust” objective. They are now just one victory shy of accomplishing their ultimate goal.
“We’re very excited to bring what we have on Thursday,” Heise said. “When we focus on what we can do, we’re so good.”
For a comprehensive look at the live updates, key moments, and additional details from the U.S. women’s semifinal victory against Sweden in the Olympic hockey tournament, see below:
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Ian Casselberry
Holding a commanding 5-0 lead with just six minutes left on the clock, it seems highly probable that Team USA will progress to the gold medal match. Their opponent will be determined by the Canada-Switzerland game, scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m. ET.
A prospective gold medal final between USA and Canada is precisely the dream matchup that women’s ice hockey enthusiasts from both nations envisioned at the outset of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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Ian Casselberry
For those tuning in now, Team USA is currently holding a dominant 5-0 advantage over Sweden as their semifinal contest enters the third period. Should they maintain this lead, the U.S. will secure a spot in the gold medal game.
Cayla Barnes, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne, and Hayley Scamurra have all scored for Team USA, which has recorded 24 shots on target.
Hilary Knight is poised to establish a new U.S. Olympic scoring record in women’s ice hockey with her next goal. With 14 goals, she is presently level with Natalie Darwitz and Katie King.
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Ian Casselberry
Unsurprisingly, given their 5-0 lead, the USA has outshot Sweden after two periods. Yet, the margin is not as significant as one might expect, with Team USA registering 24 shots compared to Sweden’s 15.
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Chris Cwik
At the start of the second period, it appeared Sweden might turn the tide and make it a competitive match. Having been outshot 13-2 in the opening period, Sweden emerged with a more aggressive attack early in the second.
Team USA weathered this initial assault before eventually hitting their offensive rhythm as the period progressed. Taylor Heise managed to score, extending the Americans’ lead to 2-0.
Following a brief lull without further scoring, Team USA then unleashed a flurry of goals, netting three times in a span of three minutes, including one immediately after Sweden swapped goaltenders.
Team USA heads into the third period with a commanding 5-0 lead. A victory here would secure the Americans’ place in the gold-medal game.
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Chris Cwik
Late in the second period, Abbie Murphy incurred a penalty for goaltender interference. While Sweden’s goaltender Emma Soderberg was positioned behind the net, Murphy collided with her, sending Soderberg to the ice.
A delayed penalty was signaled, and Murphy was penalized once Team USA gained possession of the puck. However, Sweden also received a penalty as Jessica Adolfsson retaliated against Murphy.
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Chris Cwik
Team Sweden finds itself in disarray following Team USA’s superb start. With Sweden down 4-0 in the second period, the team opted to change goaltenders.
Ebba Svensson Traff was consequently pulled from the game by Sweden, with Emma Soderberg stepping in as her replacement.
The Americans quickly capitalized on Soderberg’s entry, as Hayley Scamurra scored with 2:01 remaining, extending Team USA’s lead to 5-0.
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Chris Cwik
Another goal for Team USA resulted from a defensive lapse. As the Americans hustled to secure a puck deep within Sweden’s zone, Abbie Murphy identified a clear opening in the defense.
Murphy received the puck in a wide-open position and then fired a powerful shot past Sweden’s goaltender, pushing the score to 3-0.
Laila Edwards soon joined the scoring spree. Not long after Murphy’s goal, Edwards netted her own, making it 4-0 with less than four minutes remaining in the second period.
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Chris Cwik
This is the goal that extended Team USA’s lead to 2-0 in the second period.
Hannah Bilka located Taylor Heise, who skillfully managed to deflect the puck off the goaltender’s pads and into the net for the score.
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Chris Cwik
Team USA faced a disadvantage but once again successfully weathered the storm. Another power play for Sweden failed to yield a goal, enabling the Americans to maintain their 2-0 lead in the second period.
Despite being shorthanded, Team USA almost scored on a breakaway opportunity. Sweden’s goalkeeper, however, made a crucial save, preserving the 2-0 scoreline.
Sweden has narrowed the shot differential and has performed more effectively in the second period, but Team USA’s offense has so far proven overwhelmingly potent.
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Chris Cwik
Sweden registered two shots, but Team USA successfully fended off Sweden’s power play in the second period.
Immediately following the penalty, Team USA came close to adding their second goal.
The Americans soon capitalized, however. After nearly incurring an offsides penalty, Hannah Bilka connected with Taylor Heise on a two-on-one rush. Heise’s shot ricocheted off Sweden’s goaltender’s pads before settling into the net for the game’s second score.
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Chris Cwik
Approximately six minutes into the second period, Sweden seems to have settled into their game. After recording only two shots in the first period, Sweden rapidly increased that total to eight early in the second frame.
In fact, Sweden holds the lead in shots during the early part of this period, with a 6-2 advantage.
Furthermore, Team Sweden has just gained a power play opportunity and will aim to level the score at 1-1 while holding this advantage.
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Chris Cwik
Following a brief intermission, the second period has commenced. Sweden immediately displayed renewed energy, registering their third shot of the game early in the frame.
After another Swedish shot, a skirmish almost broke out on the ice. Although tempers subsided, Sweden clearly appears far more aggressive to begin the second period.
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Chris Cwik
The opening period was nearly perfect for Team USA. The Americans hold a 1-0 lead after outshooting Sweden by a margin of 13-2 in the period.
Team USA controlled possession throughout the period, consistently applying pressure to Sweden’s defensive unit. To their credit, Sweden largely managed to hold their ground. While an early goal from Cayla Barnes gave Team USA the lead, Sweden successfully made saves for the remainder of the period.
Despite limited offensive opportunities during the period, Sweden posed a threat late, coming close to scoring on their second shot of the game.
While the start was promising for the Americans, Sweden’s late surge served as a reminder that it remains a tight one-goal contest. Team USA will need to be more clinical with their chances in the second period if they aim for a comfortable victory.
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Chris Cwik
Approximately three-quarters of the way through the first period, Team USA is clearly overwhelming Sweden. Although the U.S. holds a narrow 1-0 lead, they possess a significant advantage in shots on goal.
With 6:37 remaining in the period, Team USA has amassed 9 shots on target, while Sweden has managed only a single one.
Team USA has been highly effective in pressuring Sweden’s defense and restricting the Swedes from clearing the puck from their own zone. Sweden must devise a strategy to overcome this disparity if they hope to upset the Americans.
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Chris Cwik
This is the shot that provided Team USA with an early advantage against Sweden.
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Chris Cwik
Team USA has commenced their match against Sweden with an exceptional start. With 14:51 remaining in the first period, Cayla Barnes scored with a long-range shot, giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead.
This was the culmination of a dominant possession for Team USA, who spent considerable time deep in Sweden’s defensive zone prior to the goal. Despite Sweden’s strenuous efforts, they were unable to clear the puck effectively. Team USA showcased excellent puck movement during the sequence before Barnes ultimately found the net.
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Chris Cwik
The puck has dropped! Team USA and Sweden are now officially battling it out in a clash between two undefeated teams. The victor will progress to the gold-medal game, while the losing side will compete for bronze.
Team USA secured the opening faceoff, but play was promptly halted due to an icing call just seven seconds into the game.
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Knight is nearing a historic achievement, currently holding a tie for the highest number of Olympic goals in women’s hockey with 14.
