The United States will face Czechia Sunday in an International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship preliminary round game at Membertou, Nova Scotia one day after Morgan Stickney of Manhattan Beach recorded her tournament-record fourth shutout in a 13-0 victory over Slovakia.
The Americans are 13-0-0-0 against the Czechs in the tournament, which has been held annually since 2008 except for 2021 when it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. has outscored Czechia, 121-4.
The Czechs won the bronze medal in the 2025 tournament, one spot below the United States. Canada won the gold medal.
The Americans defeated Czechia, 4-2, Wednesday in a pre-tournament game in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Sunday’s 2 p.m. Pacific Standard Time game will be televised live by the NHL Network.
Stickney made five saves, including stopping a penalty shot, as the U.S. began preliminary-round play Saturday at Membertou, Nova Scotia. She helped the Americans kill off four power-play opportunities in the her sixth career victory in the tournament, the most by a U.S. goaltender.
Stickney, who will turn 18 on Jan. 18, had three shutouts in the 2025 tournament, led the tournament with a 0.67 goals against average and .957 save percentage and was selected for the all-star team.
She is among two Californians on the 25-player roster, which consists of 10 players from Minnesota, seven from Massachusetts, two from Illinois and one each from Connecticut, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The other Californian, forward Jillian McLaughlin of Oceanside, had an assist Saturday.
Stickney is among four players on the team from Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, an Episcopal boarding and day school in Faribault, Minnesota, known for its renowned boys’ and girls’ hockey programs, which have produced five female Olympic hockey gold medalists and 50 NHL players.
Stickney has signed a letter of intent to accept a scholarship to play for Penn State, beginning with the 2026-27 season. She earlier played for the Los Angeles Junior Kings 13-and-under team and Los Angeles Lions 14-and-under team.
Kylie Amelkovich, a Shattuck-St. Mary’s teammate of Stickney’s who has also signed with Penn State, had a tournament record six assists Saturday. Another of Stickney’s Shattuck-St. Mary’s teammates, Jane Daley, had three goals and an assist, as did Maggie Averill.
The U.S. out-shot Slovakia, 75-5, improving to 3-0-0-0 against the Slovaks at the Under-18 Women’s World Championship, outscoring them 29-2.
Mariana Sumegova made 44 saves over the final two periods for Slovakia, allowing eight goals. Zuzana Tomeckova made 18 saves and allowed five goals in the first period in front of a crowd announced at 429 at the Sport and Wellness Centre.