Team USA is making the case for being one of the greatest hockey teams ever assembled. The United States women’s hockey team booked its spot in the final game by blowing away Sweden 5-0 in the semifinals. Just like they won all of their group games. The Americans finished with a goal difference of +18 and then defeated Italy 6-0 in the quarter-final. They have conceded just 1 goal all tournament. Despite being the Goliath of the 2026 Olympics, Team USA is not taking its final assignment lightly.

The USA will now face Canada in the gold medal game, its chief rival. The neighbours have split all 7 Olympic gold medals since women’s ice hockey debuted at Nagano, with the US winning in 1998 and 2018 and Canada claiming the others. The two have a storied history. Naturally, American defender Haley Winn said facing Canada in the final again isn’t “a surprise for us.” 

“It would be a game that we would be prepared for and that we’re looking forward to,” added Winn. “Whoever it is … we’re excited, and the job’s not finished.” Goaltender Aerin Frankel was in a similar mood as she said, “It’s hard to zoom out while you’re here and look at the big picture. When we look back on this tournament, what we have done so far has been amazing. But the job is not done yet.”

The stakes are as high as they can be, and the favourites are Team USA. When these two teams faced off in the group stage, the US won 5-0. Two goals from Hannah Bilka, and a goal each from Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, and Kirsten Simms meant Canada had little chance. The United States’ youth and speed overwhelmed the Canadians. However, they were missing their captain, Marie-Philip Poulin, who was ruled out with a lower-body injury. Cut to today, Poulin is back and scored both of their goals in the semifinals. She is giving the Canadian fans some hope of an upset.

“We haven’t won against them this year, and we’re ready to take that and heartbreak them,” Canada forward Julia Gosling said. “It’s a gold-medal game, so anything can happen.” It is shaping up to be a nerve-racking gold medal game. Beyond the on-ice dominance, the semifinal also carried a meaningful off-ice storyline that added another layer to Team USA’s run.

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Team USA Defender Sends Heartwarming Message To Jason And Kylie Kelce 

As the USA dominated Sweden, they had a celebrity couple cheering for them, Jason and Kylie Kelce. Jason sported a Team USA No. 26 jersey. That is the same number worn by Kendall Coyne Schofield of the women’s national team. While the couple supports the entire team, they have done so much more for one particular player: Laila Edwards.

Edwards shares the hometown of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, with them. She is the first black woman to appear for the United States women’s hockey team in the Olympics. After she was selected for the team, her family launched a GoFundMe so they could watch their daughter create history. It generated over $60,000 with major contributions from Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former NFL center Jason, according to the Associated Press.

“When I first made the national team, they shouted me out on their podcast for being the first Black woman to play on the team,” Edwards told PEOPLE last month. “I thought, ‘I’ll just message them, thanking them, they’ll never see it.’ And then Travis and I had a full conversation over DM, and that was super cool… he was a really down-to-earth, humble guy who was super supportive and had really good things to say.” 

Today, when she had both her parents and one of her biggest supporters in the stands, all Edwards could do was be grateful. I think that’s awesome. “I just love their support and them showing up for us. It’s really cool. And if I could thank them, you know, I would, and I maybe will if I had the chance,” Edwards said. She also announced to be appearing on Kylie’s podcast in the coming days.