photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
The United States kicked off the 2026 U18 Women’s World Championship with a big 13-0 win over Slovakia today in Membertou, Nova Scotia. In the process, they produced all kinds of impressive stats and records.
First, goalie Morgan Stickney set a career record for shutouts, earning her fourth over two WW18 tournaments. She had to stop only five shots, whereas the two Slovak goalies faced a whopping 75 pucks. As well, forward Kylie Amelkovich set a record for most assists in a game, with six, and in so doing also tied the record for most points in a game (six).
Maggie Averill became just the fourth defender to register a hat trick in a WW18 game, and only the second American after Alev Kelter, in 2009. Teammate Jane Daley also had a hat trick today. In all, 15 players registered at least one point.
"Losing last year, we're coming back and we want to win," Daley said. "I think everybody in the room is going to do whatever it takes, and we're pretty psyched up. We got the first game out of the way, but we have more games to go. I think the vibe has been good. So, yeah, we just want to keep it up and play our game throughout the tournament."
The Americans are now 3-0 all time against the Slovaks, all games coming in the last three years. Both teams play again tomorrow. The Slovaks have the early game against Finland, and then the United States faces the Czechs in the evening.
"I'm really happy that I had the opportunity to play the first game," said backup Mariana Sumegova, last year's number-one goalie who replaced Zuzana Tomeckova to start the second period and who will start tomorrow. "It was a big game for me. I had lots of shots, but it was good for me that I had this opportunity, that I know that how the level of this tournament is, and we need to keep going to the next game. We need to recover really fast, and we need to prepare first, mentally, to be ready tomorrow."
The Americans started today’s game with just the early goal they were looking for, scoring only 35 seconds after the opening faceoff. Maddy Kimbrel, playing in her second WW18, took a pass from Amelkovich and beat Tomeckova with the first shot of the game.
Less than three minutes later, the U.S. opened a two-goal lead on a power play. Daley finished off a series of passes, banging in the puck from the back side of the play. Daley got another one five minutes later, her quick shot from the top of the faceoff circle beating Tomeckova.
Annabelle Lovell made it 4-0 at 8:44 off the rush, and Talla Hansen made it 5-0 with a rebound in the blue ice in a period in which the U.S. held a 23-2 shots advantage.
Coach Michal Kobezda opted to put in Sumegova to start the second, and she made her presence known almost immediately. She stopped Jillian McLaughlin on a clear breakaway early, kicking out the left pad on a nice deke, and soon after made a solid stop on Kimbrel.
The Americans were unfazed, however, and came in over the Slovak line wave after wave, peppering Sumegova with a variety of close-in shots. They made it 6-0 when Christina Scalese banged in a rebound after Sumegova made a fine save off the first shot. Then, Averill scored twice in four minutes later in the period.
Both goals were off shots from close range, but in between the Slovaks were awarded a penalty shot. Nela Lopusanova took it, but her deke didn’t much fool Stickney, who kicked out a pad to make what was surely the toughest save of her day.
The U.S. padded their lead early in the third with two more goals, the first on a screen by Talla Hansen and the second by Scalese, her second of the game. Averill got her third at 6:16 to make it 11-0. After that, the goals kept coming as the relentless Americans showed why they are determined to wrest back the gold won by Canada last year.
First, goalie Morgan Stickney set a career record for shutouts, earning her fourth over two WW18 tournaments. She had to stop only five shots, whereas the two Slovak goalies faced a whopping 75 pucks. As well, forward Kylie Amelkovich set a record for most assists in a game, with six, and in so doing also tied the record for most points in a game (six).
Maggie Averill became just the fourth defender to register a hat trick in a WW18 game, and only the second American after Alev Kelter, in 2009. Teammate Jane Daley also had a hat trick today. In all, 15 players registered at least one point.
"Losing last year, we're coming back and we want to win," Daley said. "I think everybody in the room is going to do whatever it takes, and we're pretty psyched up. We got the first game out of the way, but we have more games to go. I think the vibe has been good. So, yeah, we just want to keep it up and play our game throughout the tournament."
The Americans are now 3-0 all time against the Slovaks, all games coming in the last three years. Both teams play again tomorrow. The Slovaks have the early game against Finland, and then the United States faces the Czechs in the evening.
"I'm really happy that I had the opportunity to play the first game," said backup Mariana Sumegova, last year's number-one goalie who replaced Zuzana Tomeckova to start the second period and who will start tomorrow. "It was a big game for me. I had lots of shots, but it was good for me that I had this opportunity, that I know that how the level of this tournament is, and we need to keep going to the next game. We need to recover really fast, and we need to prepare first, mentally, to be ready tomorrow."
The Americans started today’s game with just the early goal they were looking for, scoring only 35 seconds after the opening faceoff. Maddy Kimbrel, playing in her second WW18, took a pass from Amelkovich and beat Tomeckova with the first shot of the game.
Less than three minutes later, the U.S. opened a two-goal lead on a power play. Daley finished off a series of passes, banging in the puck from the back side of the play. Daley got another one five minutes later, her quick shot from the top of the faceoff circle beating Tomeckova.
Annabelle Lovell made it 4-0 at 8:44 off the rush, and Talla Hansen made it 5-0 with a rebound in the blue ice in a period in which the U.S. held a 23-2 shots advantage.
Coach Michal Kobezda opted to put in Sumegova to start the second, and she made her presence known almost immediately. She stopped Jillian McLaughlin on a clear breakaway early, kicking out the left pad on a nice deke, and soon after made a solid stop on Kimbrel.
The Americans were unfazed, however, and came in over the Slovak line wave after wave, peppering Sumegova with a variety of close-in shots. They made it 6-0 when Christina Scalese banged in a rebound after Sumegova made a fine save off the first shot. Then, Averill scored twice in four minutes later in the period.
Both goals were off shots from close range, but in between the Slovaks were awarded a penalty shot. Nela Lopusanova took it, but her deke didn’t much fool Stickney, who kicked out a pad to make what was surely the toughest save of her day.
The U.S. padded their lead early in the third with two more goals, the first on a screen by Talla Hansen and the second by Scalese, her second of the game. Averill got her third at 6:16 to make it 11-0. After that, the goals kept coming as the relentless Americans showed why they are determined to wrest back the gold won by Canada last year.
Slovakia vs USA - 2026 IIHF U18 Women's Worlds Championship
OF