At the Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament during the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the United States team stunned Canada with a commanding 5-0 victory on Tuesday. This game, part of the preliminary round, made history as the largest margin of victory ever recorded against Canada in Olympic women’s hockey and featured standout performances from key PWHL athletes.
The United States completed the preliminary stage atop Group A with an undefeated 4-0 record, propelled by two goals from Seattle’s Hannah Bilka and a flawless goaltending effort from Boston’s Aerin Frankel, who stopped all 20 shots faced to secure her first shutout in the tournament.
Detailed Overview of Tuesday’s Preliminary Round Matches
Seattle forward Hannah Bilka led the scoring for the United States, supported by assists from Britta Curl-Salemme (MIN), Hilary Knight (SEA), and Haley Winn (BOS). Goalkeeper Aerin Frankel’s shutout marked a milestone as she became just the ninth goaltender and fourth American to record two shutouts in a single Olympic tournament. Meanwhile, Canada’s netminders, Montréal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens and Vancouver’s Emerance Maschmeyer, combined for 28 saves but suffered a rare defeat. Canada faced the game without captain Marie-Philip Poulin, sidelined with a lower-body injury sustained in a prior match against Czechia.
Following this historic loss, the United States will now face Italy in the quarterfinals. Canada must secure at least one point when they take on Finland in their final preliminary game to guarantee second place in Group A.
Finland Clinches First Victory, Switzerland Ends Group Stage
Finland earned its initial win of the tournament, edging Switzerland 3-1. Rookie goalie Sanni Ahola of Ottawa stopped 13 of 14 shots, recording her maiden Olympic victory. An assist by Vancouver’s Michelle Karvinen set up Finland’s third goal in the second period, marking her first point at these Games.
Switzerland’s lone goal came from Boston’s Alina Müller, who has now scored twice in four tournament games and holds the record as Switzerland’s all-time leading Olympic goal scorer. Despite the defeat, the Swiss secured fifth place in Group A and will face either Finland or Czechia in the quarterfinals.
Finland, missing Fleet forward Susanna Tapani due to injury, will battle Canada Thursday to decide second and third places in their group. A regulation-time win clinches second place for Finland, while an overtime or shootout victory will place them third.
Germany Edges Italy in Tight Match, Sweden Tops Group B
Germany secured a 2-1 win over Italy thanks to Boston’s Laura Kluge, who scored the game-winning goal with just under two minutes remaining. Kluge’s performance continued her impressive tournament run, finishing with seven points — a new German Olympic record for a single tournament.
Defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith from Vancouver assisted the deciding goal, while Montréal’s Sandra Abstreiter stopped 23 shots, earning her third tournament win and setting a German Olympic record as the first German goaltender to win three Olympic women’s hockey games.
Italy’s Kristin Della Rovere, leading her team with four points, registered an assist, marking new Olympic records for Italy in single tournament and all-time scoring. Both Germany and Italy advance to quarterfinals, with Germany facing the Group A runner-up and Italy matched against the group leader, the United States.
Meanwhile, Sweden finished the preliminary round undefeated in Group B with a 4-0 record after beating Japan 4-0. New York’s Maja Nylén Persson recorded two assists in the game, earning her first points of the tournament. Toronto’s Sara Hjalmarsson contributed a key assist on the first-period goal and completed the preliminary round with five points. Japan concluded the tournament ranked ninth, earning one win and suffering three losses.
Record-Breaking Performances Highlight the Tournament’s Progress
Multiple players have reached important milestones during this Olympic tournament. Alina Müller broke Switzerland’s previous scoring record held by Stefanie Marty and joined a select group with 14 or more career Olympic goals and 26 or more points. Hilary Knight tied American Jenny Potter for third place on the all-time Olympic scoring list with 32 career points.
Aerin Frankel’s shutout marks her as one of just nine goaltenders globally, and the fourth American, to achieve two shutouts in a single Olympic tournament.
Sandra Abstreiter set records for Germany as the first goalie with three Olympic wins in women’s hockey, while Laura Kluge currently ranks third on Germany’s all-time scoring list, having set a tournament scoring record with seven points.
Italy’s Kristin Della Rovere leads her country’s historic Olympic scoring ranks. Finnish veteran Michelle Karvinen has scored points in five Winter Games and is one shy of tying Riikka Sallinen’s Finnish career points record. Sanni Ahola became only the sixth Finnish netminder to win an Olympic game, achieving this feat in her second career start.
Sweden’s Maja Nylén Persson and Sara Hjalmarsson both ranked eighth on the country’s Olympic scoring list, each with eight points through 15 career games. Canadian goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens marked another milestone as the third goaltender in Canadian women’s hockey history to surpass 1,000 career saves in international play.
Upcoming Quarterfinal Matchups Set the Stage for High-Stakes Play
The results of Tuesday’s preliminary games have set a tense and hopeful tone as teams prepare for the quarterfinals. The U.S., displaying historic dominance over Canada, will confront Italy next, while Canada must quickly regroup to challenge Finland for positioning.
Germany and Italy advance from Group B and will face off against the top teams from Group A. Meanwhile, Sweden’s unbeaten run positions them strongly against the third-place finisher from Group A in their quarterfinal face-off. These matchups promise intense competition as the top Olympians from the PWHL aim to claim Olympic glory.
This stage of the tournament highlights the evolving landscape of women’s hockey, where emerging stars and seasoned veterans alike are shaping the sport’s future on the world stage. The significance of these performances not only reflects personal achievements but signals the growing global impact and competitive depth of PWHL Olympic women’s hockey.
