FRIDAY QUARTERFINAL RECAP
UNITED STATES (6) USA ITALY (0)
Captain Minnesota Kendall Coyne Schofield scored her first two goals of the tournament as part of a five-goal mid-range that led the United States to an eighth straight Olympic semifinal. Boston Captain Megan Keller opened the scoring at 13:31 of the first period, connecting with Frost Britta Curl-Salemme with a goal and an assist in the match. Seattle’s Hannah Bilka capped the scoring with her team-leading fourth goal while playing as a forward Alex Timmerman (SEA), Taylor Heise (MIN) and Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) each found the scoresheet with an assist along with defenders Lee Stecklein (MIN) and Haley Winn (BUNCH). The U.S. dominated 51-6 in shots, with Ottawa’s leading Gwyneth Phillips she earned her first official shutout after sharing a clean sheet during the preliminary round. Italy’s second outing as hosts comes to an end after making history with its first two wins on the Olympic podium. Toronto’s Kristin Della Roverethe only PWHL player in Italy, became the team’s top scorer with four points (2G, 2A) in five games.
SWEDEN (2) USA CZECH REPUBLIC (0)
That of New York Maja Nylen Persson assisted on the game-winning goal at 4:47 of the second period, and captained Anna Kjellbin from Toronto set up the empty net goal with 25 seconds left in the final frame to lead Sweden to the semi-finals for the first time since 2014. The last time they won an Olympic medal was silver in 2006 and also claimed bronze in 2002. The Czech Republic will be eliminated in the quarter-finals at the Olympic Games for the second time in a row after a 4-1 defeat to the USA in 2022. Montreal rookie Natalia Mlýnkováone of eight PWHL players on the Czech Republic, led the team with four points (3G, 1A) in five games.
RECORDS AND MILESTONES
- Carpenter is tied with Cammi Granato for fifth in all-time U.S. Olympic scoring with 18 points (11G, 7A) in 17 career matches.
- Coyne Schofield climbed to seventh on the U.S. all-time Olympic scoring list with 17 points (9G, 8A) in 22 career matches.
- Keller became the seventh American skater and only the second American defenseman to achieve ten career assists, one shy of Tara Mounsey’s record.
- Curl-Salemme scored her first Olympic goal in her fifth career match.
- Phillips became the 11th American goaltender to record an Olympic shutout.
- Nylen Persson is tied for fifth on Sweden’s all-time Olympic scoring list with nine points (2G, 7A) in 16 career matches.
- Della Rovere finished her first Olympic Games as Italy’s all-time leader with four points, also setting one tournament record.
- Mlynkova finished her second Olympic Games as the Czech Republic’s all-time top scorer (4) after setting a new tournament mark (3).
- Tereza Vanišová (VAN) remains the Czech Republic’s all-time points leader with seven (2G, 5A) after two Olympic appearances, tallying one assist in this tournament.
SATURDAY’S QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW
10:40 AM ET: CANADA (A2) USA GERMANY (B2)
Seattle’s Julia Gosling has made the most of her Olympic debut, leading all 23 PWHL players in Canada in scoring with five points, including three power-play goals. Toronto’s Daryl Wattsanother first-time Olympian, and New York’s Sarah Fillierwho won Olympic gold in 2022, both have two goals and two assists in a trio of preliminary round victories. Canada has reached the finals of all seven Olympic tournaments and won five gold medals (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022). Bostons Laura Kluge (3G, 4A) was one of the breakout stars of the tournament, holding an equal lead in the overall score in the preliminary round and setting a German record with seven points in her first Olympic Games. Also setting Vancouver’s PWHL German records Nina Jobst Smith“The team’s two goals are the most by a defender and Montreal’s Sandra Abstreiter‘s three wins are the most by a goaltender. Germany will participate in the play-off round for the first time in four Olympic appearances.
3:10 PM ET: FINLAND (A4) VS. SWITZERLAND (A5)
The first rematch of the 2026 Olympic tournament follows Finland’s 3-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday, buoyed by a 14-save performance from Ottawa rookie Sanni Aholaone of four Finnish players in the PWHL. The roster also includes Charge defender Ronja SavolainenFleet ahead Susanna Tapaniand captain Michelle Karvinen (1A) from Vancouver, was competing in her fifth Olympic Games and was on the verge of tying the all-time record for career events with 29. She was part of three of Finland’s four Olympic bronze medal victories in 2010, 2018 and 2022. Alina Muller leads Switzerland by two goals and three points and is now Switzerland’s all-time top scorer (14) and tied for eighth in all-time points (26) by a women’s hockey player at the Winter Olympics. She famously led her country to its first and only Olympic medal as a 15-year-old with the winning goal to secure bronze in 2014. Nicole Vallario anchors the Swiss blue line.
CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL SCHEDULE AND BROADCAST DETAILS
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
JOCKS INTO JILLS
Tessa and Julia looked back on the first day of the quarter-finals in the Jocks in Jills live reaction show after Friday’s action. The pair reflected on Team Italy’s performance at Milano Cortina 2026, highlighting the pride and tenacity the team showed during the tournament. They were then joined by two-time Olympic medalist Courtney Kennedy for her popular “Courtney’s Corner” segment, where she discussed Team USA punching their ticket to the semifinals with a 6-0 win over Team Italy. The conversation then shifted to Group B underdog Team Sweden, who defeated Team Czech Republic in Friday’s quarterfinals. Four-time Olympian and Olympic bronze medalist Florence Schelling added her expert perspective and offered further insight into the day’s results. Watch the episode here.
Next: Tessa and Julia head to Milan to cover the rest of the tournament in person, bringing fans closer to the action with special guests and expanding coverage as the stakes rise. The next episode of Jocks in Jills comes out on Sunday, February 15, with a full recap of Saturday’s quarter-finals and a preview of the semi-finals. Watch the PWHLs live YouTube channel and follow Jocks in Jills on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
#PWHL #recap #Olympic #Games #February #Pro #Hockey #News