Team Canada won the gold medal on Sunday at the 2023 Women’s World Under-18 Hockey Championship in Ostersund, Sweden. In the gold medal game, Canada trounced Sweden 10-0.
It was an outstanding championship final for Caitlin Kraemer of Waterloo, Ontario. Kraemer had four of Canada’s 10 goals. She was one of six Canadians with a multi-point game. Ava Murphy of Kitchener, Ontario had three assists, Alexia Aubin of Levis, Quebec had two goals, Abby Lunney of Newmarket, Ontario had one goal and one assist, Charlotte Pieckenhagen of Toronto, Ontario had one goal and one assist, and Keira Hurry of London, Ontario had two assists. The other two Canadian goal scorers were Mackenzie Alexander and Piper Grober, both from Toronto, Ontario. Meanwhile, goaltender Hannah Clark made 21 saves for the shutout.
Canada was undefeated throughout the tournament. In Group A action Canada defeated Finland 8-0, Sweden 4-2 and the United States 3-1. In the semifinals, Canada beat Finland 3-2 on an overtime winner by Alex Law of Markham, Ontario. The United States won the bronze medal as they defeated Finland 5-0. Sweden upset the United States 2-1 in the other semifinal.
Kraemer meanwhile led the tournament with 10 goals. This was the seventh time Canada has won the gold medal at the Women’s World Under-18 Hockey Championship. They previously won in 2010 in Chicago, in 2012 in Zlin, Czech Republic, in 2013 in Heinola, Finland, in 2014 in Budapest, Hungary, in 2019 in Obihiro, Japan, and in 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. This was the first time that Canada won the gold medal without beating the United States in the final.
