New England is usually well-represented among Team USA at the IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship.
That'll be the case once again when the U.S. heads to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, for the 2026 tournament from Jan. 10-18. Eight New England natives help make up the roster, including seven from Massachusetts.
Several local skaters have key experience in the tournament, too. Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.) is looking for a third straight medal after winning gold in 2024 and earning silver in 2025. Jane Daley (Medfield, Mass.), Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.) and Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.) also earned silver in 2025.
Team USA has medaled in all 17 editions of the tournament, including nine gold medals. They've reached the gold medal game in 16 tournaments.
The U.S., which took a 4-2 win over Czechia in a pre-tournament game on Wednesday, will compete in Group B, along with Czechia, Slovakia and Finland. Here is Team USA's schedule:
- Jan. 10: USA vs. Slovakia, 9 a.m. ET (preliminary round)
- Jan. 11: USA vs. Czechia, 5 p.m. ET (preliminary)
- Jan. 13: USA vs. Finland, 12:30 p.m. ET (preliminary)
- Jan. 15: Quarterfinals, 9 a.m./12:30 p.m./4 p.m./7:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
- Jan. 17: Semifinals, 3 p.m./6:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
- Jan. 18: Bronze Medal Game, 2:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
- Jan. 18: Gold Medal Game, 6:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)
Here are the player selections from New England, listed alphabetically by last name.
Forwards
- Lily Bromley (Carlisle, Mass.)
- Jane Daley (Medfield, Mass.)
- Annabelle Lovell (Hingham, Mass.)
- Catherine McCool (West Roxbury, Mass.)
- Tina Scalese (West Boylston, Mass.)
- Lindsay Stepnowski (South Glastonbury, Conn.)
Defense
- Maggie Averill (Wayland, Mass.)
- Ava Decourcey (Rockland, Mass.)
Averill, an '08 junior at Phillips Andover, is committed to Princeton and will captain the U.S.
She, along with Scalese and Decourcey, won the 19U Mass. state title with Assabet Valley. Scalese, an '08 senior at Groton, is a Princeton commit, while Decourcey, an '08 junior at Nobles, is a Yale commit.
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Decourcey's Nobles teammate, Bromley, is an '09 Princeton commit. McCool, an '09 sophomore at Nobles, is a key prospect to watch on recruiting radars in 2026.
Bromley and McCool also helped the 16U Boston Americans win the 2025 Mass. state title.
Stepnowski is an '08 senior at Loomis Chaffee and a 19U Mass. Spitfires standout. The Harvard commit was the NEPSAC Player of the Year and Elite 8 MVP last season after leading Loomis to a title.
Daley, an '09 star at Shattuck-St. Mary's, recently committed to Ohio State.
Lovell, a versatile standout for the Lovell Academy 16Us, can play both forward and defense. The '09 is committed to Minnesota.
Another skater with local ties is Lovell 16U standout defender Chyna Taylor, an '09 and a Wisconsin commit. The Lexington, Ky., native was also on last season's silver-medal squad.
Each of the above skaters was at USA Hockey's U18 Women's National Festival and competed in the U18 Series against Canada in Lake Placid in August.
There are local ties behind the bench, too, as Boston Fleet skills coach and former Boston College assistant Courtney Kennedy (Woburn, Mass.) will serve as head coach.
Joining her staff as an assistant is Princeton assistant coach Shelly Picard (Taunton, Mass.). Providence College hockey operations coordinator Doug Ferry (Warwick, R.I.) will be Team USA's manager of operations and events, while Merrimack hockey ops coordinator Bryce Aldrich (Berwick, Maine) will be video coach. Amanda Feldman will be the team's sports dietician, a role she also holds with the Fleet and Boston University.
