Vancouver Island teen helps Canada rout Sweden for women's under-18 gold

Sixteen-year-old Morgan Jackson of Courtenay, B.C., was the lone Vancouver Islander on the national team, which routed Sweden 10-0 to claim its second consecutive gold medal at the women's world championship. (Arden Gill)

A Vancouver Island teenager is returning home with a gold medal after the Canadian women's under-18 hockey team defeated Sweden in the world championship Sunday.

Sixteen-year-old Morgan Jackson of Courtenay, B.C., was the lone Vancouver Islander on the national team, which routed Sweden 10-0 to claim its second consecutive gold medal at the women's world championship.

Jackson, a Grade 11 student at Shawnigan Lake School, saw ice time in all five tournament games, capping off the tournament with 15 minutes of play in the gold-medal game, according to a release from the school on Monday.

"What an incredible accomplishment for Morgan," Carly Haggard, head coach of the Shawnigan under-18 women's prep team, said in the release.

"She has worked so hard and deserves it," Harggard added. "Shawnigan Lake School is extremely proud of her."

The United States defeated Finland 5-0 to grab the bronze medal earlier Sunday in Östersund, Sweden.

Sweden's 2-1 semifinal upset of the U.S. on Saturday meant the Americans would not play for gold for the first time in the 15-year history of the tournament.

With files from The Canadian Press