Caitlin Kraemer says once Team Canada got its fifth goal in the women's under-18 world hockey championship game, she thought to herself, "Dang, we're about to become world champions."

The 16-year-old from Waterloo, Ont., certainly made a name for herself in the tournament, scoring four goals in that gold medal game as Canada beat Sweden 10-0. 

She scored a hat trick in a span of 6:44 in the first period — the fastest in tournament history. Her fourth goal in the third period was her tournament-leading 10th, which also set a record for most goals by a Canadian in a single tournament.

She called breaking the record "a cool bonus" to winning gold with her team.

She says finishing the game, hoisting the trophy and celebrating the win was also bittersweet.

"You're so proud of your team and very happy that we had that success. But then, you know, you're never really going to play with these players again and them being like your best friends, it got pretty emotional, but we're glad we pulled off the win and had the success," she said.

Kraemer is hesitant to take a lot of credit on her own accomplishments and said when she was doing well on the ice, "it was more the team's rolling."

She says representing Canada is always something she's wanted to do.

"Just to learn from all those coaches and teammates and just play with people who I've looked up to like my captain, Jocelyn Amos (who plays for the London Devilettes), even though we've been in separate teams like she's always been someone I look up to and really compare myself to," Kraemer said.

Kraemer currently plays for the under-22-AA K-W Rangers and is a Grade 11 student at Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener. She says after high school, she has plans to attend University of Minnesota-Duluth in the fall of 2024 and ultimately, would love to play for Team Canada again.

LISTEN | Waterloo's Caitlin Kraemer tells CBC K-W's Craig Norris what it was like to win gold at women's world U18 hockey tournament: