Orono’s Maddy Kimbrel, Woodbury’s Alaina Gnetz and Hill-Murray’s Emily Pohl are three of the 10 Minnesotans named to the roster.Team will compete at World Championships in January
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the 25-player roster for its U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team that will compete in the 2026 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship, Jan. 10-18, 2026, in Sydney and Membertou, Nova Scotia.
The roster features 10 returners from the 2025 team that took silver at the world championship in Finland, including Kylie Amelkovich (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.), Haley Box (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Jane Daley (Medfield, Mass.), Sloane Hartmetz (Phoenixville, Pa.), Maddy Kimbrel (Long Lake, Minn.), Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.), Christina Scalese(West Boylston, Mass.), Morgan Stickney (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Chyna Taylor(Louisville, Ky.). Averill and Box were also members of the 2024 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team that won gold.
ROSTER:
| 11 | Kylie | Amelkovich | F | 5-8 (173) | 4/29/08 | L | Glen Ellyn, Ill. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 2 | Maggie | Averill | D | 5-11 (180) | 9/9/08 | R | Wayland, Mass. | Assabet Valley |
| 30 | Bianca | Birrittieri | G | 5-7 (170) | 3/25/08 | L | Flower Mound, Texas | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite |
| 9 | Haley | Box | F | 5-4 (163) | 3/10/08 | R | Eden Prairie, Minn. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 19 | Lily | Bromley | F | 5-6 (168) | 2/2/09 | L | Carlisle, Mass. | Noble & Greenough |
| 18 | Jane | Daley | F | 5-5 (165) | 3/21/09 | L | Medfield, Mass. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 5 | Ava | Decourcey | D | 5-7 (170) | 7/24/08 | R | Rockland, Mass. | Assabet Valley |
| 20 | Alaina | Gnetz | F | 5-5 (165) | 1/25/08 | L | Woodbury, Minn. | Woodbury High School |
| 14 | Talla | Hansen | F | 5-5 (165) | 11/22/08 | R | Wayzata, Minn. | Benilde – St. Margaret’s |
| 26 | Sloane | Hartmetz | D | 5-3 (160) | 2/8/08 | R | Phoenixville, Pa. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 25 | Maddy | Kimbrel | F | 5-4 (163) | 5/5/08 | R | Long Lake, Minn. | Orono High School |
| 15 | Annabelle | Lovell | F | 5-3 (160) | 2/25/09 | R | Hingham, Mass. | Lovell Academy |
| 28 | Taylee | Manion | D | 5-4 (163) | 11/12/09 | R | Hermantown, Minn. | Proctor/Hermantown High School |
| 12 | Catherine | McCool | F | 5-6 (168) | 10/2/09 | L | Boston, Mass. | Boch Blazers |
| 22 | Jillian | McLaughlin | F | 5-6 (168) | 3/2/08 | L | Oceanside, Calif. | Rink Hockey Academy |
| 37 | Addison | McLay | D | 5-4 (163) | 6/9/08 | L | Hastings, Minn. | Hill-Murray School |
| 3 | Mia | Miller | D | 5-8 (173) | 4/3/08 | R | Dundas, Minn. | Northfield High School |
| 7 | Emily | Pohl | F | 5-7 (170) | 6/7/08 | L | Woodbury, Minn. | Hill-Murray School |
| 38 | Bailey | Rupp | F | 5-8 (173) | 8/22/08 | L | Bemidji, Minn. | Bemidji High School |
| 8 | Kateryna | Sander | D | 5-8 (173) | 3/4/08 | L | Chanhassen, Minn. | Holy Family Catholic |
| 4 | Christina | Scalese | F | 5-3 (160) | 1/17/08 | R | West Boylston, Mass. | Assabet Valley |
| 23 | Lindsay | Stepnowski | F | 5-6 (168) | 1/28/08 | L | South Glastonbury, Conn. | Loomis Chaffee School |
| 31 | Morgan | Stickney | G | 5-8 (173) | 1/18/08 | L | Manhattan Beach, Calif. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 13 | Chyna | Taylor | D | 5-6 (168) | 7/10/09 | L | Louisville, Ky. | Lovell Academy |
| 35 | Cecilia | Wielenberg | G | 5-9 (175) | 3/6/09 | L | Downers Grove, Ill. | Team Illinois |
The U.S. roster includes 10 players from Minnesota, seven from Massachusetts, two from California and Illinois and one from Connecticut, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas, and is comprised of 14 forwards, eight defenders and three goaltenders.
The U.S. has medaled in every IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship and has played in all but one of the 17 gold-medal games contested. Team USA has nine gold medals, seven silver medals and one bronze medal to its credit all time.
For more information and complete coverage of Team USA in the lead up to and during the 2026 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, click HERE.
FULL 2026 U.S. UNDER-18 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM STAFF ANNOUNCED
Katie Million and Kristen Sagaert will serve as general managers, along with Doug Ferry as operations manager, Bryce Aldrich as video coach, Jill Moschelli as team physician, Kevin Lennon as athletic trainer, Amanda Feldman as sports dietician, Jess Burlingame as strength and conditioning, Jeff Mobley as equipment and logistics manager, Charles Crowell V as content coordinator and Melissa Katz as communications manager.
The support staff will join the previously announced coaching staff of head coach Courtney Kennedy, assistant coaches Greg May, Chris Bailey and Shelly Picard, along with goaltending coach Mackenzie Bruch.
