Canada, USA to meet in IIHF women’s Under-18 gold medal game

A legendary rivalry is going to be renewed with a championship on the line.

Canada and the United States will face off on Sunday in the gold medal game at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship.

It will be the 14th meeting in the tournament final between the two historic combatants and the first time since 2022.

As is becoming the norm at the U-18s, the path to the gold medal game wasn’t as smooth as the superpowers were accustomed to prior to the pandemic.

The Americans looked untouchable, defensively, in the group stage. In their wins over Japan, Sweden and Finland, the red, white and blue didn’t surrender a goal, a feat the country hadn’t accomplished since 2013, easily finishing first in Group A.

However, the U.S. didn’t necessarily possess offensive dominance as expected, potting only 14 goals over that span despite heavily outshooting their opponents.

Yet, that changed in the quarterfinals, when Team USA, led by Evelyn Doyle and Haley Box’s three-point performances, put nine up on Slovakia to head back to the semis. There, they met Sweden, who again gave the Americans a significant test. However, two goals from captain Anabella Fanale and some big saves by Morgan Stickney gave the U.S. a 2-1 win.

Canada also saw limited scoring, given how much they outplayed the competition in the group stage. They had to pick their game up after sitting tied with Slovakia in their first game of the tournament before turning it on to beat Switzerland and Czechia to win Group B. After matching their record for most goals in a single tournament game, beating Japan 17-0 in the quarterfinals, the Canadians got revenge for last year’s semifinal loss to the Czechs, winning 4-2 to move onto the gold medal game for the 15th time.

The U.S. is back in the gold medal game for the 16th time in the tournament history. They are looking to win a record 10th world championship, which would make it back-to-back gold medals for the first time since the nation won four straight golds from 2015 to 2018.

One of the marquee matchups heading into the final is that between the two goaltenders. Stickney wasn’t tested a lot in the preliminary round but was asked to make some key stops in the semifinal. Marilou Grenier took the No. 1 job for the Canadians in the group stage and was clutch in both victories against Czechia.

Rising star Chloe Primerano isn’t scoring at the clip she did at the U-18s in 2024, but she has been great nonetheless. She is one of three Canadians to have 10 points in the tournament. One more for the Minnesota commit and she will surpass the great Marie-Philip Poulin for most points by a Canadian in the tournament’s history.

Stryker Zablocki has been living up to her name, leading the team with seven goals and 11 points.

No American has hit double-digits in scoring thus far, but captain Fanale has been clutch. Along with almost single-handily beating Damkronorna on Saturday, this Minnesota commit leads the U.S. with nine points in five games.

Tournament veteran Mary Derrenbacher has been one of the United States’ best playmakers, sitting tied for second with teammate Megan Healy in assists with six.

The Americans are 9-6 in gold medal finals, while the Canadians are 7-7. The U.S. is also 7-6 against their northern rivals in championship games, though Canada beat the Americans in Wisconsin in their last gold medal encounter in 2022.

Puck drop for the championship game in Vantaa, Finland is set for 12 p.m. ET. It will be televised nationally on TSN in Canada and NHL Network in the United States.

Czechia and Sweden will face off for the bronze at 8 a.m. Sweden is looking for its medal since losing to Canada in the championship game two years ago, while the Czechs are tying to claim hardware at consecutive tournaments for the first time ever.