U.S. Women’s Hockey Turns Semifinal Into Swedish Shellacking in Gold Medal Warmup

A 5–0 rout of Sweden was yet another casual win on Team USA’s dominant Olympic run. But the Americans’ focus remains on Thursday’s final, where they will be heavy favorites.

The U.S. had 13 different players tally points in a 5–0 semifinal win over Sweden. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

MILAN — This was exactly what the United States women’s hockey team needed. After annihilating their first five opponents, the Americans finally played a game that was close to almost being sort of in the general ballpark of kind of semi-competitive in a really abstract way.

Thirty-two years ago, Sweden’s Peter Forsberg scored a golden goal at the Lillehammer Olympics. Swedes were so excited that they put a picture of Forsberg’s goal on a postage stamp. It is time for another stamp, to commemorate an equally amazing feat: After one period in Monday’s semifinal, Sweden only trailed the U.S., 1–0.

The U.S. still beat Sweden, 5–0. The key to the game was that the U.S. played hockey. The Americans have outscored their six opponents, 31–1. They have outshot them, 259–95. When this team takes the ice, you can cut the tension with a marshmallow.

The most difficult task the Americans have faced all tournament is acting like they could have lost. After this game, defensewoman Haley Winn said, “We know how to play with lead, without a lead.” She did not say “when the other team has a lead,” because that has not happened all tournament.

Winn also said, “Going into today, that was our goal: to just kind of have momentum going to the gold medal game.” Typically, the goal going into a semifinal is to get to the gold medal game. 

Most amusingly: A reporter at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena asked Winn about the possibility of playing Canada in the gold medal game. Canada had not yet beaten Switzerland in their semifinal. Winn said the Americans would be ready for their opponent: “Whether that’s Canada again, or whoever it is, I think we know that’s not going to be easy.”

Whoever it is? Did Winn even know who Canada was playing in the semifinal? 

Perhaps Winn was just tired, which would—truly—be understandable. The Americans don’t have to grind out every shift, but they do anyway. They are faster and more skilled than everyone else, but they are also feisty. They seek contact and welcome scrums.

Sweden only trailed the U.S. by one at the end of the first period before the floodgates opened. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Also: Their goalie is fantastic. Aerin Frankel has not just managed to stay awake throughout every game; when Sweden actually had a few scoring chances, she came through.

Does she appreciate how good this team is?

“It’s hard to kind of like, zoom out while you’re here and look at the big picture,” Frankel said. “You’re so focused on the day-to-day. But I think you know, when we look back at this tournament—”

She caught herself.

“What we’ve done so far has been amazing,” Frankel said, “but obviously, the job’s not done.”

It is not done. It almost certainly will be done. But before the puck drops Thursday, the Americans have what they absolutely do not need: Time to think.

There is really no Olympic event—summer or winter—like the women’s hockey gold medal game. The Olympics are built around tiers of success. That is part of their charm. Last week, two-time gold medalist snowboarder Chloe Kim was rightfully thrilled to win silver. In most sports, third place is an afterthought, but at the Olympics, bronze medals are prized. The Olympics have it right: Finishing third in the world at anything is an incredible achievement that should be celebrated.

Women’s hockey is the exception to this. You will never find a more devastated group of silver medalists. The U.S. and Canada have been so much better than the rest of the world for so long that they only measure themselves against each other.

If the Americans lose Thursday, it will make their 2022 Olympic gold medal game loss seem like a fairytale ending. They always know they can win. This time, they know they should win. The U.S. has dominated Canada all winter. The Americans’ 5–0 defeat of Canada last week was closer to being 7–0 than 5–2.

Sweden will still have a shot at the podium in Thursday’s bronze medal game. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

The Americans are already answering questions about whether they are the best team of all time. The questions are legitimate. But they add to the pressure. 

Swedish forward Hilda Svensson said after the semifinal that the Swedes felt like if they could score the first goal, or even make it 1–1, then they might have a shot. Before beating the U.S., you must first make the Americans feel like they are in a real game.

Nobody has done it yet. Not even Canada. The Americans have one hour of hockey left. As long as they don’t think about being the best team in history, they will be.

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