MILAN, Italy – Team USA is headed to the gold medal game at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games after a dominant 5-0 victory over Sweden in Thursday's semifinal at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. The win sets up a matchup against team Canada on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 12:10 p.m. CT, broadcast on USA Network and Peacock.

The victory marks another milestone for two Minnesota State Mavericks alumnae now coaching on the international stage. Shari Dickerman, in her second season as head coach at Minnesota State and returning for her fourth season on Team USA's staff, serves as an assistant coach. Former Maverick goaltender Alli Altmann, who graduated from Minnesota State in 2012 and spent the 2023–24 season as a Maverick assistant, is now Team USA's goaltending coach.

Dickerman has been part of the Mavericks' program since 2009 and has helped Team USA capture two golds (2023, 2025) and a silver (2024) at the IIHF Women's World Championships. Altmann, who set the Mavericks' record for most games played (110) and posted a career .888 save percentage.

On the ice, Team USA's 5-0 semifinal win featured goals from five different scorers, and goaltender Aerin Frankel earned a historic third shutout of the tournament.

The Americans defeated Canada, 5-0, in the preliminary round.