ZUG, Switzerland – The U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team defeated Czechia, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon in the gold medal game of the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship at Bossard Arena. It marks the ninth gold medal for the United States in the tournament all time.
Three members of the Phillips Andover girls’ hockey team — sisters Caroline and Maggie Averill, as well as Molly Boyle — were all key parts of this championship title.
“It is awesome to get the win,” said Liz Keady Norton, the former Methuen/Tewksbury head coach and current head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team. “I am really proud of our group. I thought that we worked hard the whole way and so it was nice for them to be rewarded.”
The United States finished the tournament with a 6-0-0 record to earn its first gold medal at the tournament since 2020. The team defeated Slovakia (7-1), Switzerland (8-1), Sweden (4-0), Germany (4-2), Finland (4-2) and then Czechia.
Team USA jumped out to a two-goal lead midway through the first period with quick back-to-back goals.
First, Boyle, who resides in Scituate, sent a pass from the point to Ava Thomas, who found Maggie Scannell at the backdoor with a wide-open net to bury the puck at 10:23 of the first period.
Haley Box then provided the U.S. with a 2-0 lead just 1:14 later when she tapped in a rebound from Morgan McGathey. Maggie Averill, of Wayland, picked up an assist on the goal.
The U.S. then shut down Czechia’s power-play unit near the end of the first frame, including 1:06 of five-on-three action. Team USA’s penalty kill also went to work in the second period, keeping Czechia scoreless on a five-minute power play.
Czechia would cut the U.S. lead to 2-1 at 18:43 in the middle stanza with a power-play goal from Adela Sapovalivova.
Kassidy Carmichael put the U.S. ahead, 3-1, 4:15 into the third period after she tipped a shot from Boyle out of midair. Taylor Senecal earned an assist on the play as well.
Carmichael then struck again with her second goal of the period when she knocked home a rebound with 6:55 remaining in the game, extending the U.S. lead to 4-1. Thomas notched her second assist of the game on the play, while Mary Derrenbacher also picked up an assist.
Thomas added the exclamation point on the United States 5-1 victory with an empty-net goal with 1:49 remaining.
Layla Hemp finished the game with 19 saves for the United States.
Earlier in the tournament, Boyle and Maggie Averill scored goals in the win over Switzerland and Caroline Averill scored a goal and was named the Player of the Game in the win over Slovakia.