The semifinals are set at the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship as Canada will battle Sweden while the reigning champion United States take on Finland with spots in Monday’s gold-medal game on the line.
Watch Canada take on Sweden in the semifinals on Sunday, Nov. 15 LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on TSN4 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Canada had their hands full with Czechia in the quarter-finals. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second period on goals from Sarah Fillier and Rebecca Leslie, the Czechs got one back on a goal from Kristyna Kaltounkova.
Renata Fast made it 3-1 late in the middle frame and it would eventually hold as the game winner as Canada held on for the 3-2 victory but Kaltounkova made it close for Czechia with her second goal of the contest in the third.
In Sweden’s quarter-final matchup against Switzerland, they edged out the Swiss 1-0 on a goal from forward Sara Hjalmarsson and goaltender Ebba Svensson Traff had a light outing, facing only nine shots. This will be Sweden’s first appearance in the semifinals of a Women’s Worlds since 2009.
Canada faced Sweden in the tournament opener on Nov. 6, skating to a 5-1 win as forward Jessie Eldridge had two goals and an assist.
Eldridge leads Canada in scoring through five games at the Women’s Worlds with three goals and eight points.
Fillier, who missed Canada’s first two games due to a shoulder injury, has three goals and an assist in three games since returning to the lineup.
Canada’s power play is currently tops in the tournament at 43.75 per cent, scoring seven goals on 16 opportunities while Sweden is fourth at 23.08 per cent.
Canada will have a big decision to make in goal as Ann-Renée Desbiens and Ève Gascon have split the majority of starts for Canada with Kayle Osborne making her lone appearance in the team’s 10-0 win over Denmark.
Gascon was in net Friday against Czechia but Desbiens, who leads the tournament in save percentage at .974, has the experience factor working in her favour.
United States vs. Finland
The Americans will take on Finland in the early semifinal on Sunday and the United States have looked every bit the part as reigning gold medalists.
Watch USA face Finland in the semifinals on Sunday, Nov. 15 LIVE at 9 a.m. ET on TSN4 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
USA demolished Denmark 14-0 in the quarter-finals as defenders Caroline Harvey and Haley Winn had five-point games and goaltender Gwyneth Philips faced just eight shots on goal.
In the round robin, USA scored 31 goals in four games and allowed just two. Harvey, the first-overall pick by the Vancouver Goldeneyes in this year’s PWHL Draft, leads the tournament in scoring with 14 points in five games.
Behind all their firepower up front and on the blueline, the Americans also boast a two-headed monster in net with Philips (.958 save percentage and 0.40 goals-against average) and Aerin Frankel (.954 percentage and 0.40 GAA), allowing just one goal each.
Finland is coming off a 6-0 victory over Germany in the quarters as Petra Nieminen led the way with a goal and two assists.