Canada edged the United States 3-2 to clinch the title Monday night at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships.

With the victory, Canada claimed its sixth title and stopped its rival from defending its 2019 title. Canadian goaltender Mari Pietersen stopped 29 shots – including 10 in the final period – to clinch the win.

The game presented a stark turnaround from the meeting between the teams in group play, which Team USA won 7-0.

Ava Murphy and Alexia Aubin each had a goal and an assist while Jocelyn Amos added one more goal for Canada.

The Canadian national teams have had a good run of late, with the senior national team beating the U.S. 3-2 to win gold at the Beijing Olympics in February. The national team beat the U.S. by the same score at the world championships last August.

After the Canadian junior team went up 3-0 on Monday, Team USA rallied with goals by Finley McCarthy and Claire Enright in the second period. But it wasn’t enough, as the tournament leaders in goals scored (21) managed just two goals on 31 shots in the loss.

Earlier, Finland beat Sweden 3-0 to claim its third bronze medal. Sanni Vanhanen had all three goals to secure the hat trick while Emilia Kyrkko stopped 35 shots on goal.

The most recent iteration of the tournament before this took place more than two years ago, in January 2020. The 2022 tournament certainly delivered, even six months after its originally scheduled starting date.

The competition was set to take place in Sweden in January, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. After an outcry, in which many pointed out the IIHF men’s tournaments were still on the schedule for later in the year, the organization changed gears, shifting the tournament to Wisconsin in June.

Full IIHF U18 Schedule

Monday, June 6

• Group A:
  • United States 6, Sweden 1: Cassandra Hall scored back-to-back goals and four other players got on the board for the U.S. Ebba Hedqvist scored the lone goal for Sweden.
  • Finland 2, Canada 0: Finland scored its first-ever win against Canada with goals from Ada Eronen and Oona Havana.
• Group B:
  • Czech Republic 4, Slovakia 0: The Czech Republic got the tournament started with a bang. Adela Sapovalivova scored twice while Andrea Trnkova and Eliska Hotova also got on the board.
  • Germany 1, Switzerland 0: Lola Liang was the lone scorer.

Tuesday, June 7

• Group A:
  • United States 5, Finland 0: Laila Edwards and Tessa Janecke each scored twice for Team USA as they blanked Finland. With the win, the U.S. sits atop Group A with one final matchup against Canada set for Thursday.
  • Canada 3, Sweden 1: Canada got one back thanks to a two-goal performance from Rhea Hicks plus a goal from Reichen Kirchmair. Canada and Finland are now tied for second in Group A.
• Group B:
  • Czech Republic 6, Germany 2: The Czech Republic had a strong showing over Germany, with Tereza Plosova notching the hat trick. Lucie Gruntova also scored twice, back-to-back goals in the second period. With one game left to play in group play, the Czech Republic leads Group B while Germany and Switzerland are tied for second.
  • Switzerland 3, Slovakia 1: After going down 1-0 to Slovakia, Switzerland responded by scoring three unanswered goals. Nina Harju, Elena Gaberell and Jade Surdez all found the back of the net.

Thursday, Jun 9

• Group A: 
  • United States 7, Canada 0: This one was a doozy as seven different Americans found the back of the net for Team USA. Canada had no answer, and U.S. goalkeeper Annelies Bergmann stopped all 25 shots she faced.
  • Sweden 4, Finland 3: After going up 2-1, Sweden found itself in a 3-2 hole. Goals from Emma Pfeffer and Jenna Raunio helped the Swedes secure the comeback win against Finland. They managed to salvage three points with the win.
• Group B:
  • Czech Republic 2, Switzerland 0: The Czech Republic took care of business against Switzerland. Anna Vanickova got things started in the second period before Dominika Malicka buried the finisher. Czech goalie Michaela Hesova stopped all 21 shots she faced.
  • Slovakia 6, Germany 2: Barbora Kapicakova and Hana Fancovicova each found the back of the net twice as Slovakia easily handled Germany. Lola Liang got the scoring started as Germany went up 1-0 but couldn’t find a response for Slovakia’s offense.

Friday, June 10

• Quarterfinals
  • Canada 7, Slovakia 0: Canada cruised past Slovakia, securing their place in Sunday’s semifinal against Finland. Seven different players got on the board for Canada, with Sarah MacEachern notching three assists. Madison Chantler kicked off the offensive onslaught, scoring 52 seconds into the matchup, opening the floodgates for Canada, who outshot their opponents 65-5.
  • Sweden 2, Czech Republic 1: Sweden battled to a narrow 2-1 win to clinch a matchup against the U.S. in Sunday’s semifinal. Jenna Raunio logged the go-ahead goal for Sweden, sealing a hard-fought victory for her side.

Sunday, June 11

• Semifinals
  • Canada 2, Finland 1: After Jade Iginla broke open the scoring for Canada, Finland’s Tilli Keranen evened up the score to make it 1-1. It would stay that way until Madison Chantler notched the game-winning goal in the third.
  • United States 3, Sweden 2: After going up 1-0 on a goal from Sydney Morrow, the U.S. found themselves down 2-1 after two unanswered goals from Mira Jungaker and Stella Lindell. But Team USA didn’t show any panic. Margaret Scannell and Grace Dwyer ended up providing the tie-maker and the tie-breaker, respectively, in the third period to secure the win. The U.S. advances to play Canada in the gold medal game while Sweden will play Finland for bronze.

Monday, June 13

• Bronze medal game: Finland 3, Sweden 0
• Gold medal game: Canada 3, United States 2

The host of the 2022 Men's World Cup is back in the headlines, with Middle East nation Qatar reportedly in talks with FIFA to house the inaugural Women's Club World Cup in January 2028.

Despite recent gains on the men's side, the Qatar women’s national team is currently unranked due to a lack of official matches — founded in 2009, the squad has not competed in any official capacity in 12 years.

The lack of support for the nation's women's team is unsurprising given Qatar's concerning human rights record — one that the soccer world has long called into question, particularly concerning the treatment of women, migrants, and the LGBTQIA+ population.

The reported aim to host the 2028 Women's Club World Cup would constitute another example of Qatar sportswashing those international human rights concerns using the country's close relationship with the international soccer governing body — one bolstered by the fact that FIFA president Gianni Infantino resides in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Despite this week's reports, FIFA said they have yet to receive a formal bid for its first-ever women's club competition.

With 16 teams expected to compete from January 5th through 30th, 2028, European clubs are already bracing for calendar disruptions thanks to the Women's Club World Cup's winter kick-off.

At least five teams from Europe and two each from Asia, Africa, South America, and North America will compete, with the remaining three clubs determined by a 2027 qualifying tournament.

US Figure Skating is hoping to make Olympic history this year, naming powerhouse trio Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and Isabeau Levito to the official 2026 Winter Games roster on Sunday as Team USA aims to end a 20-year medal drought in Milan next month.

Glenn earned her spot after winning her third-straight national title on Friday, with reigning world champion Liu and 18-year-old 2024 Worlds runner-up Levito chasing her onto the 2026 US Figure Skating Championships podium.

"Just so grateful. That was terrifying," Glenn said after her win. "And I had to skate after two incredible ladies brought down the house."

Liu is the only US women's singles skater returning with Olympic experience — at just 16 years old, she took sixth place in Beijing — but the group's national podium tally adds to Team USA's renewed confidence.

"All we've got to do, is do our job," said 26-year-old Glenn. "I think the US ladies have come so, so far in the last two decades that if all three of us do our jobs in Milan, then more than likely someone's going to be up there [on the Olympic podium]."

How to watch the 2026 Olympic figure skating competition

While the US women will first take the ice in the team competition on February 6th and 8th, the trio will begin contending for individual glory by skating their short programs at 12:45 PM ET on February 17th, airing live on USA Network.

The 2026 Olympic podium will then be finalized in the free skate competition at 1 PM ET on February 19th, with live coverage on NBC.

Incoming Denver Summit FC rookie Jasmine Aikey capped her Stanford career by earning the top honor in NCAA women's soccer, lifting the 2025 MAC Hermann Trophy last Friday.

Aikey is now the sixth Cardinal to win the award, joining fellow alums and USWNT standouts like Kelley O'Hara (2009), Christen Press (2010), Catarina Macario (2018, 2019), and Andi Sullivan (2017).

"I am so happy that Jasmine's hard work and dedication paid off, as she is one of the most talented and competitive student-athletes I have ever coached," said Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe in the school's Friday announcement.

The 20-year-old topped both Stanford and the ACC in goals scored this season with 21, tallying 11 assists as she led the Cardinal to both the 2025 ACC Championship and last month's College Cup Final.

Even more, her dominant season saw Aikey claim the 2025 MAC Hermann Award over fellow finalists and ACC stars Jordynn Dudley, a junior forward for reigning NCAA champion Florida State, and Izzy Engle, a Notre Dame sophomore attacker and the 2025 ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

With her Friday win, Aikey also made history as just the second student-athlete to win both the Hermann Trophy and the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, joining Portland alum and international soccer's all-time leading scorer, Canada legend Christine Sinclair.

The forward won't be resting on her laurels for long, however, with Aikey now gearing up for next month's NWSL preseason after signing a two-year deal to join 2026 expansion side Denver Summit last Thursday.

"I'm ready to get to work and help set the standard in Denver," remarked the newly minted pro in a club statement.

As top tennis talents turn toward the 2026 Australian Open, this week's WTA rankings refresh hints at the drama to come as the year's first Grand Slam nears.

Following her strong 2026 United Cup showing against world No. 2 Iga Świątek, Team USA favorite Coco Gauff jumped to No. 3, leapfrogging fellow US star No. 4 Amanda Anisimova along the way.

Meanwhile, reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys hit a slight skid, falling two spots to No. 9 after unwavering No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ousted her from last week's Brisbane Open quarterfinals.

Sabalenka aside, Switzerland's No. 10 Belinda Bencic might have the hottest hand heading into Melbourne, busting into the Top 10 after winning all five of her 2026 United Cup singles matches — including a dominant three-set victory over Poland's Świątek.

Bencic also made history in this week's rankings update, becoming the first returning mother to crack the WTA's top tier since US tennis icon Serena Williams did so in 2021.

"I think it's been a huge goal, maybe a huge ride after the whole comeback, to come back and prove this to myself, that it's possible," Bencic said this week.

How to watch top WTA ranked tennis players this week

Next up for the WTA rankings' elite will be the record-breaking 2026 Australian Open, with the main draw of the season's first Slam kicking off down under on Sunday.

Live coverage from the Melbourne hardcourt will air across ESPN platforms beginning at 7 PM ET on Saturday.