Benilde-St. Margaret’s Talla Hansen scored a pair of goals and added an assist in Team USA’s win over Slovakia. LPH FILE PHOTO
Seven Minnesotans tally points in tourney opener
Benilde-St. Margaret’s junior Talla Hansen had a pair of goals and an assist and Holy Family senior Maddy Kimbrel also scored as Team USA defeated Slovakia 13-0 in the U18 World Championships being held in Nova Scotia.
Holy Family’s Katya Sander added two assists and Hill-Murray’s Emily Pohl, Northfield’s Mia Miller, Hill-Murray’s Addy McLay, and Hermantown’s Taylee Manion also assisted on goals as TEAM USA outshot their counterparts 75-5 in a heavily lopsided affair.
Holy Family’s Maddy Kimbrel also scored for Team USA in their opening game against Slovakia. LPH FILE PHOTONine Minnesotans are on the 2026 Team USA U18 Women’s roster. Those players include Alaina Gnetz (Woodbury, MN/Centennial/SLP), Talla Hansen (Wayzata, MN/Benilde-St. Margaret’s), Maddy Kimbrel (Mound, MN/Holy Family), Taylee Manion (Hermantown, MN/Rpctor/Hermantown), Addison McLay (Hastings, MN/Hill-Murray), Mia Miller (Dundas, MN/Northfield), Emily Pohl (Woodbury, MN/Hill-Murray), Bailey Rupp (Bemidji/, MN/Bemidji), Kateryna Sander (Chanhassen, MN/Holy Family).
There are also four players currently playing for Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault: Kylie Amelkovich (Glen Ellyn, Ill), Jane Daley (Medfield, Mass.), Morgan Stickney (Manhattan Beach, CA) and Sloane Hartmetz (Phhoenixville, PA). Amelkovich recorded six assists in the win, setting a new tournament record. Daley had a hat trick and Stickney recorded the 5-save shutout.
“I saw resilient effort throughout,” said Courtney Kennedy (Woburn, Mass.), head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team. “I was impressed with their ability to be detail oriented throughout the entire game. There are still things we need to work on, but I’m very proud for us on game one.”
Team USA is back in action tomorrow (Jan. 11) for its second preliminary round game of the 2026 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship against Czechia. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. ET and can be viewed live on NHL Network.
2026 Team USA U18 Team Roster
NO. | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | POS. | HEIGHT (CM) | DOB | S/C | HOMETOWN | MOST RECENT TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 31 | Bianca | Birrittieri | G | 5-7 (170) | 3/25/08 | L | Flower Mound, Texas | Pittsburgh Penguins Elite |
| 27 | Haley | Box | F | 5-4 (163) | 3/10/08 | R | Cheyenne, Wyo. | Etobicoke Dolphins |
| 18 | Lily | Bromley | F | 5-6 (168) | 2/2/09 | L | Carlisle, Mass. | Noble & Greenough |
| 10 | Jane | Daley | F | 5-5 (165) | 3/21/09 | L | Medfield, Mass. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 4 | 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 |
| 6 | Sloane | Hartmetz | D | 5-3 (160) | 2/8/08 | R | Phoenixville, Pa. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 17 | Maddy | Kimbrel | F | 5-4 (163) | 5/5/08 | R | Mound, Minn. | Holy Family Catholic |
| 25 | 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 |
| 24 | Catherine | McCool | F | 5-6 (168) | 10/2/09 | L | Boston, Mass. | Boch Blazers |
| 78 | 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 |
| 5 | Kateryna | Sander | D | 5-8 (173) | 3/4/08 | L | Chanhassen, Minn. | Holy Family Catholic |
| 22 | Christina | Scalese | F | 5-3 (160) | 1/17/08 | R | West Boylston, Mass. | Assabet Valley |
| 29 | Lindsay | Stepnowski | F | 5-6 (168) | 1/28/08 | L | South Glastonbury, Conn. | Loomis Chaffee School |
| 30 | Morgan | Stickney | G | 5-8 (173) | 1/18/08 | L | Manhattan Beach, Calif. | Shattuck-St. Mary’s |
| 9 | 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 |
