U.S. Women's Hockey Storms to Olympic Final Undefeated

The United States women's hockey team is playing nearly perfect Olympic hockey, and their 5-0 semifinal victory over Sweden on Monday proved they're unstoppable heading into Thursday's gold medal game.

Goalie Aerin Frankel delivered her third shutout of the tournament, turning away 21 shots and extending Team USA's shutout streak to over 331 minutes. The Americans have now outscored opponents 31-1 across six games, a display of dominance rarely seen at this level.

The game broke wide open late in the second period when Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Hayley Scamurra scored three goals in less than three minutes. Cayla Barnes and Taylor Heise added the other two goals, overwhelming Sweden's defense.

"I don't even think we're at our peak," Scamurra said after the win. "Our peak is getting that gold medal in hand for sure."

The victory likely sets up a seventh gold medal showdown against defending champion Canada, who face Switzerland in the other semifinal. Team USA already beat Canada 5-0 in preliminary play last week and has won seven straight games against their biggest rivals.

If the Americans win on Thursday, they'll become just the third women's team ever to go undefeated and untied through an entire Olympic tournament. Canada accomplished the feat in 2006 and 2010, setting a standard of excellence that this year's U.S. squad is now chasing.

The Ripple Effect

This team's dominance extends beyond the ice. When Cleveland Heights native Laila Edwards assisted on one of the goals, former NFL star Jason Kelce was in the stands cheering. He and his brother Travis had contributed to a GoFundMe campaign to help Edwards' family afford the trip to Milan, showing how individual success inspires community support.

The Americans have maintained focus despite Sweden's strong tournament run. The Swedes went 4-0 in group play with a talented young roster featuring seven players from U.S. colleges, but they couldn't match Team USA's relentless pressure.

Even Sweden's coach Ulf Lundberg acknowledged the gap, joking his team would have needed plexiglass in front of the net to keep the game close. Still, he praised his players' work ethic and noted they have plenty to build on heading into the bronze medal game.

For Team USA, nothing about their previous success matters now. "It's the gold medal game," Heise said, looking ahead to Thursday's final with the right mix of confidence and hunger that champions need.