Zach Werenski Strikes as Team USA Rolls Past Germany to Cap Perfect Olympic Group Stage
Zach Werenski is now an Olympic goal scorer-and he made it count.
The Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman opened the scoring for Team USA in their 5-1 win over Germany on Sunday, helping the Americans close out an undefeated group stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. With three wins in three games, the U.S. heads into the knockout rounds riding a wave of momentum-and Werenski’s blast was a tone-setter.
The goal came in the final seconds of the first period, with the game still locked at 0-0. Auston Matthews, wearing the “C” for Team USA, slid a crisp pass across the offensive zone.
Werenski stepped into it from the faceoff dot and wired a shot past German goaltender Maximilian Franzreb. It was the kind of goal that doesn’t just break a tie-it breaks open a game.
That was just the beginning. Team USA piled on four more goals, cruising to a dominant win that capped a flawless 3-0-0-0 run through the round-robin stage.
But even with the perfect record, the Americans will enter the knockout rounds as the No. 2 seed. Canada, also undefeated, edged them out for the top spot thanks to a superior goal differential.
Still, the U.S. is in a strong position. As the second seed, they earn a bye through the first round of elimination play, along with Canada (1), Slovakia (3), and Finland (4). That sets the stage for Tuesday’s quarterfinal matchups:
- Switzerland (5) vs. Italy (12) at 6:10 a.m.
ET - winner faces Finland
- **Germany (6) vs.
France (11)** at 6:10 a.m. ET - winner faces Slovakia
- Sweden (7) vs. Latvia (10) at 3:10 p.m.
ET - winner faces United States
- **Czechia (8) vs.
Denmark (9)** at 10:40 a.m. ET - winner faces Canada
Team USA will return to the ice on Wednesday at 3:10 p.m. ET to face the winner of Sweden vs.
Latvia. All signs point to Sweden advancing-on paper, they’re the stronger side-but don’t count Latvia out just yet.
The Latvians do have Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on the roster, though he hasn’t seen action since being pulled midway through their opening loss to the Americans.
Looking ahead, the tournament bracket will be re-seeded after the quarterfinals, meaning matchups for the semis will depend on how the higher seeds fare. If Team USA makes it through, they’ll play again Friday, either at 10:40 a.m. or 3:10 p.m. ET.
The bronze medal game is scheduled for Saturday at 2:40 p.m. ET, with the gold medal showdown set for Sunday morning at 8:10 a.m. ET.
For now, Werenski and Team USA have done everything asked of them in the early going. They’ve looked sharp, disciplined, and dangerous-exactly the kind of form you want heading into the medal rounds.
If Werenski’s goal was any indication, this team isn’t just here to compete. They’re here to make a serious run at gold.