USA earns 6-3 victory over Sweden in first game of 2023 U18 Women's Worlds

OSTERSUND, Sweden — Sweden was no easy first match for Team USA in its opening game of the 2023 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship.

The Swedes kept the game within a one-goal margin until late in the third period, when the Americans pulled away for a 6-3 victory.

Team USA opened the scoring in the first period on the power play. Molly Jordan (Berlin, Connecticut / Boston College) shot the puck towards the net before it deflected off a jumping Ava Lindsay (Minnetonka, Minnesota / Minnesota) and then deflected again off a Swedish defender to find the back of the net.

Sweden tied things up near the end of the first frame on a shorthanded 2-on-1 breakaway tally from Emma Rehn and Emilia Bergeby Hallbeck .

The Americans earned another power-play goal in the second period when a Samantha Taber (Tewksbury, Massachusetts / Boston College) shot from the high slot bounced off the goaltender's shoulder and into the net.

Mira Hallin tied things up for Sweden once again, this time on a power-play goal of their own.

Team USA regained the lead late in the period as Alexandra Lalonde (Irvine, California / Northeastern) made a pass from behind the net to Peyton Compton (Sanford, Florida / Northeastern), who sent the puck home.

Lucia DiGirolamo's (Woburn, Massachusetts / Princeton) shot from a sharp angle early in the third frame gave Team USA its first two-goal lead of the match.

Maggine Scannell (Wynantskill, New York / Wisconsin) made it a three-point lead on the power play before Sweden got one back on a backdoor goal from Linnea Natt Och Dag .

Towards the end of regulation, the Swedes pulled their goaltender and Finley McCarthy (Whitefish, Montana / Wisconsin) found the empty net for Team USA not long after.

USA 6, Sweden 3

USA 1-2-3
SWE 1-1-1

First period scoring — 1. USA, Ava Lindsay (Molly Jordan, Maggie Scannell) 6:28 (pp); 1. SWE, Emma Rehn (Emilia Bergeby Hallbeck) 15:38 (sh)
Penalties — SWE, Rehn (roughing) 6:16; SWE, Stella Lindell (illegal hit) 7:30; USA, Finley McCarthy (hooking) 8:27; USA, Joy Dunne (tripping) 12:39, SWE, Emma Goding (interference) 15:11

Second period scoring — 2. USA, Samantha Taber (Josie St. Martin, Megan Healy) 28:03 (pp); 2. SWE, Mira Hallin (Mira Jungaker) 34:47 (pp); 3. USA, Peyton Compton (Alexandra Lalonde) 36:31
Penalties — USA, Lindzi Avar (illegal hit) 23:35; SWE, Hallin (tripping) 26:23; SWE, Sara Lindqvist (illegal hit) 28:03; USA, McCarthy (hooking) 32:36; USA, Jordan (roughing) 33:33; USA, St. Martin (hooking) 39:23

Third period scoring — 4. USA, Lucia DiGirolamo (Avar, Lalonde) 45:11; 5. USA, Scannell (Elly Klepinger, Healy) 50:33 (pp); 3. SWE, Linnea Natt Och Dag (Hilda Svensson, Hallin) 51:54; 6. USA, McCarthy (unassisted) 59:04 (en)
Penalties — USA, McCarthy (tripping) 40:38; SWE, Svensson (roughing) 49:21; USA, Dunne (illegal hit) 53:36;

Goalie saves — USA: Annelies Bergmann 29/32 (3GA); SWE: Ida Henriksson 37/42 (5GA)

Players of the game — USA, Scannell; SWE, Bergeby Hallbeck