Five Standouts for Team USA at Women's U18s

An outstanding tournament for the Americans ended in disappointment, as the United States fell to Canada 3-0 in the gold medal game of the 2025 IIHF Women's U18 Championships on Sunday. Despite the second-place finish, there was still plenty to like from the tournament, and the future of the U.S. women's national team certainly looks bright if this is any indicator.

An overall strong American team was led by a few different players:

Bella (Anabella) Fanale

A Minnesota commit, the Webster, N.Y. native led Team USA with nine points, including five goals and four assists. She was also second among all players in goals scored in the tournament. Critically, as the captain, she also scored both goals in Team USA's 2-1 semifinal win over Sweden. The directorate named her Best Forward, while she was also named one of the Best Players of the Team by coaches. In addition, she was honored as a Media All-Star. She turns 18 in May.

Morgan Stickney

A Penn State commit, the 16-year-old Stickney recorded three consecutive shutouts to start the tournament and, in the process, set a new U18s record a single-tournament shutout streak. She finished the tournament with a 0.67 GAA and .957 save percentage while playing all 359:52. Stickney also became the first goalie ever to record a point at the U18s, with an assist on Bella Fanale's shorthanded goal against Slovakia. It's no surprise, then, that she was named one of the Best Players of the Team and a Media All-Star. Back in 2023, she became the first-ever female American player drafted into the WHL (Portland Winterhawks).

Megan Healy

A Princeton commit, Healy finished the tournament fourth in scoring among defenders. While she didn't score, she did record six assists, and her six points were good for third overall among the Americans. She also led the team in ice time, averaging 21:08 per game. She was the only American player to average more than 20 minutes per game. Like the aforementioned players, she was also named one of the Best Players of the Team as well as a Media All-Star. She turns 18 later this month.

Mary Derrenbacher

Derrenbacher registered six assists in the tournament, which tied her for second overall among all skaters. She also had two goals for a total of eight points, second among the Americans in scoring. Her 27 shots on goal were second-most on the team, too, behind only Fanale's 41 shots. Finally, she averaged 18:51 played per game, most among American forwards. Derrenbacher just turned 16 in September and matched her point total from last year's U18 tournament. The Raleigh, North Carolina native is currently uncommitted.

Sloane Hartmetz

Hartmetz's offense from the blue line was certainly helpful for the Americans, as she scored twice in six games, including once on the power play. Her 27 shots on goal were second-most on the team, too. She averaged 15:48 per game - not the highest, but not the lowest, kind of just middle of the road. Hartmetz turns 17 next month and is committed to Minnesota. This was her first U18s tournament appearance.