USA, Canada, Sweden & Finland Reach Women's Hockey Semis

The 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship has confirmed its four semi-finalists following an action-packed quarter-final round on November 13. Defending champions United States, along with Canada, Sweden and Finland, secured their places in the last four after registering victories over their respective opponents in Denmark.

The quarter-final hockey matches witnessed some dominant performances, particularly from the USA, who registered a commanding 14-0 victory over hosts Denmark. Meanwhile, Canada edged past Czechia 3-2, Sweden secured a narrow 1-0 win against Switzerland, and Finland defeated Germany 6-0 to advance to the semi-finals.

Key Highlights:

• Defending champions USA defeated Denmark 14-0 to secure a semi-final berth
• The USA recorded 85 shots on goal, breaking its previous single-game record of 82
• Canada beat Czechia 3-2, while Sweden and Finland also advanced to the semi-finals

The American women’s team dominated proceedings from the opening minutes, scoring five goals within the first seven minutes and 54 seconds. They maintained their attacking momentum throughout the match, entering the third period with a 10-0 lead before adding four more goals.

Taylor Fox opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the contest and finished with one goal and three assists. Caroline Harvey and Haley Winn each registered two goals and three assists, while Kelly Pannek contributed two goals and two assists. Hannah Bilka, Casey O'Brien, Grace Zumwinkle, Laila Edwards and Hayley Scamurra also found the net.

Goalkeeper Gwyneth Philips helped the USA maintain a clean sheet, making eight saves. The team also recorded 85 shots on goal against Denmark, surpassing its previous record of 82, set against Sweden in 1997. The victory secured the defending champions' place in the semi-finals against Finland.

In another quarter-final encounter, Sweden defeated Switzerland 1-0 in Esbjerg. Sara Hjalmarsson scored the only goal of the match, securing Sweden's place in the semi-finals, where the team will face Canada.

Finland also delivered a convincing performance, defeating Germany 6-0 to progress to the next stage. Petra Nieminen contributed one goal and two assists, helping her side secure a comfortable victory. Finland, which won the bronze medal at the previous championship, will now face the defending champions, the USA.

Meanwhile, Canada defeated Czechia 3-2 in their quarter-final encounter in Herning. Sarah Fillier, Rebecca Leslie and Renata Fast scored for Canada, with Fast netting the decisive goal. Czechia's Kristyna Kaltounkova scored both goals for her team. Canadian goalkeeper Ève Gascon made 14 saves as Canada maintained its unbeaten record in the tournament.

The 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship is taking place from November 6 to 16 in Denmark, with matches hosted in Herning and Esbjerg. Ten national teams are participating in the tournament: the USA, Canada, Czechia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Austria, and host Denmark.

Following the preliminary round and quarterfinals, the competition has entered its semi-final stage. The USA will face Finland, while Canada will take on Sweden on November 15. The bronze-medal and gold-medal matches are scheduled for November 16.