USA crushes Sweden to reach women's hockey gold medal game

· Yahoo Sports

Team USA celebrates a goal by Laila Edwards in the second period against Sweden at 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday in Milan, Italy. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Team USA started slow, but attacked in the second period, obliterating Sweden to reach the 2026 Winter Olympics gold medal match Monday in Milan.

With the 5-0 shutout, the Americans also extended the longest shutout streak in Olympics history to 331:23 of on-action action, including five shutouts. Team USA outshot the Swedes 13-2 through the first 20 minutes of the semifinal, but led just 1-0 to start the second period.

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The Americans were outshot 13-11 in the bridge frame, but used four goals -- including three in a stretch of less than three minutes -- to break the game open. Balance was the key in the momentum switch, with five different players scoring in the victory.

"After the first, we came in and thought we have a little bit more to give," forward Taylor Heise, who scored the first goal of the second period, told NBC.

The Americans, who outshot opponents 31-1 through their first six appearances of the 2026 Winter Olympics, will face Canada or Switzerland on Thursday in the gold medal game.

Team USA's Haley Scamurra reacts after scoring a goal in the second period against Sweden at 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday in Milan, Italy. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

Team USA's Kelly Pannek (L) takes a shot past Sweden's Hanna Olsson at 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday in Milan, Italy. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

Defenseman Cayla Barnes started the scoring when she beat Swedish goalie Ebba Svensson Traff 5:09 into the semifinal. Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein assisted that score.

Abbey Murphy and Hannah Bilka assisted Heise for a 2-0 lead about 11 minutes into the second period. Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra then combined to score three times in 2:47 to break the game open.

Team USA's Britta Curl-Salemme (R) is knocked down by Sweden's Felizia Wikner Zienkiewicz at 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday in Milan, Italy. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

Team USA's Joy Dunne (R) has a shot deflected by Sweden's Hanna Olsson at 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday in Milan, Italy. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

Bilka, who logged two assists, was one of 13 Americans to log a point in the victory. Team USA goalie Aerin Frankel totaled 21 saves.

Canada will meet Switzerland will face off in the second semifinal at 3:10 p.m. EST Monday in Milan. The women's hockey gold medal game will be at 1:10 p.m. EST Thursday at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The game will air on USA Network.

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