One week into the women’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, it’s already clear that Team USA is on a mission. The team kicked off their tournament in Milan on Feb. 5 and have done nothing but dominate since, going 4-0 in the preliminary round against the other teams in Group A.
Their undefeated run was punctuated by USA’s stunning and historic 5-0 triumph over rival Canada on Tuesday. The Americans opened with a 5-1 win over Czechia, followed by 5-0 shutouts of Finland and Switzerland. But their biggest challenge was expected to be Canada, a team that the USA knows all too well.
The teams have met in each of the last four Olympic gold medal games. Four years ago in Beijing, Canada bested the U.S. by one goal to take home the gold.
But this U.S. team looks primed for revenge. The U.S. took a 3-0 lead shortly into the second period and never looked back. The win was fueled by 24-year-old forward Hannah Bilka, who shined on the global stage with two goals against Canada and handed them their worst loss in team Olympic history.
Team USA’s excellence has been anything but an individual effort. Captain Hillary Knight has been her typically-reliable self in Milan, ensuring the team hasn’t got complacent and scoring two goals in the tournament’s first four games. Alternate captain Alex Carpenter has been the squad’s most consistent scorer, getting on the board in each of her first three games.
Team USA is also getting considerable contributions from their youngest players. Current college players Caroline Harvey on defense and 20-year-old forward Joy Dunne have pitched in offensively in the preliminary rounds, giving their Olympic competition a glimpse of what they will have to deal with for years to come.
Despite the plethora of offensive firepower for the U.S., the goaltending has been equally formidable. Goaltender Aerin Frankel has started three games, allowing just one goal and shutting out Finland and Canada.
The U.S. weren’t the only team to make a statement in the preliminary round. Sweden also went undefeated in Group B with four blowouts, albeit against weaker competition. Germany also impressed, going 3-1.
With the round-robin preliminaries complete, the tournament shifts to the quarterfinals. With higher ranked teams placed in Group A, the U.S. will take on team Italy (2-2) and a spirited home crowd in the quarterfinal round.
The first quarterfinal matchups begin Friday morning PST, with the U.S. dropping the puck shortly after 12 p.m.
Despite the immense success for Team USA in the preliminaries, the pressure has now intensified. After soundly beating Canada on Tuesday, the U.S. head into the single-elimination rounds as the clear favorite to win gold.
But it won’t be easy. The team remains adamant that their work is far from done. A potential rematch with Canada is looming.
However, forward Kirsten Simms, who scored her first goal of the tournament versus Canada, is confident their historic victory against their foes from up north will give them a boost going forward.
“It’s pretty special,” Simms said to USA Today after Tuesday’s win. “This group has been unbelievable from the start of the tournament and I think we displayed that going against our known rivals. It’s just good momentum for us going into the playoff rounds.”