Team USA didn’t just show up to Milano-Cortina - they made a statement.
In their opening game of the 2026 Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament, the top-ranked Americans rolled past Czechia with a dominant 5-1 win at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. From puck drop to final horn, it was all red, white, and blue, as the U.S. imposed its will with a relentless forecheck, crisp puck movement, and a suffocating defensive structure that limited Czechia to just 14 shots on goal.
This wasn’t just a win - it was a reminder. Team USA is here with gold on its mind.
The Americans came into the tournament with a perfect 7-0 record in Olympic openers. Make that 8-0 now. And they wasted little time getting on the board.
Late in the first period, the U.S. power play went to work. Laila Edwards, operating along the left wing, sent a sharp centering feed to the point, where Megan Keller unleashed a heavy shot.
Alex Carpenter, parked in front of the net, got her stick on it just enough to redirect it past Czech goaltender Klara Peslarova. A textbook deflection, and just like that, the U.S. had the lead.
The Americans didn’t let up in the second. Less than four minutes in, Tessa Janecke threaded a perfect pass into the crease, where Joy Dunne was waiting.
Dunne showed great hands in tight, lifting the puck over Peslarova’s shoulder to make it 2-0. Then, just 89 seconds later, Janecke was at it again - this time setting up Hayley Scamurra, who slipped the puck through the five-hole for a 3-0 cushion.
Czechia found a brief spark midway through the period. Natalie Mlynkova intercepted a U.S. pass and quickly hit Barbora Jurickova, who had just stepped out of the penalty box. Jurickova broke in alone and beat American netminder Aerin Frankel to cut the deficit to 3-1.
But Team USA had the answer - and it came from their captain.
Hilary Knight, a veteran of the Olympic stage and the heartbeat of this team, took matters into her own hands late in the second. She broke down the right wing with speed and snapped a shot high glove side, restoring the three-goal lead and silencing any momentum Czechia had built.
The Americans kept their foot on the gas in the third. Just over four minutes in, Kelly Pannek jumped on a loose puck deep in the Czech zone and found Scamurra, who stepped into a slap shot and buried it for her second goal of the night. That made it 5-1, and that’s how it would end.
Scamurra led the way with a pair of goals, while Carpenter finished with a goal and an assist. Janecke added two assists of her own, part of a balanced and efficient U.S. attack that looked every bit the tournament favorite.
Next up for the Americans: a Saturday showdown with world No. 3 Finland - a perennial power and a team that always brings intensity to this rivalry.
Puck drops at 4:40 p.m. local time. If this opener was any indication, Team USA is already in mid-tournament form.