2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from Feb. 6
After a newsworthy opening day of action in the women’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, there were a couple of important games on the docket on Friday.
Teams looking to bounce back after disappointing losses on Thursday went up against fresher lineups in Milan, leading to some exciting games that went right down to the wire.
See who stood out on Day 2 of action in Italy:
France 2, Japan 3
Japan sought to lay down the law against a French team that was beaten decisively by the host Italians on Thursday. They played the body and peppered Alice Philbert. However, Les Bleus began to find their footing and created some opportunities of their own.
There wasn’t any scoring until the late stages of the second period, when Rui Ukita struck first for Japan. However, the lead didn’t last into the break, as Lore Baudrit was the beneficiary of a great play by Manon le Scodan to tie the game at one with just 17 seconds to go in the frame.
The third period was tense. Both Philbert and Japanese netminder Miyuu Masuhara had to come up with some big saves, and it looked like we might be heading to overtime. Japan was sure to change that narrative, as a slick shot from Makoto Ito snuck by Philbert with a little over three minutes to go to give Japan the lead once again.
It looked like the game was on ice after an empty-netter from Suzuka Maeda, but France wouldn’t go down without a fight. Gabrielle de Serres’ second goal of the tournament with 12 seconds to go made things interesting, but Japan hung on for a crucial win.
Japan outshot the French 38-25. France was 1-for-1 on the power play, while Japan failed to capitalize on its lone opportunity on the player advantage.
The loss is a damaging one. With an 0-0-2 record, they’re effectively eliminated from quarterfinal contention, barring massive upsets for Germany and Sweden. Les Bleus is next in action on Sunday against Sweden. Japan (1-0-0) has a quick turnaround, facing the Germans on Saturday.
Japan
Rui Ukita, F
Ukita is just a fun player to watch in these international tournaments. Never shying away from shooting the puck, the 29-year-old seems to always have her nose to the offense. That was clear against France, as he put three shots on goal, including the first tally of the contest, and probably could’ve scored a couple more had Philbert not been in the way. Uktia was also second among forwards in ice time (20:57) in the victory.
Akane Shiga, F
I’m putting this out there now, with the PWHL expanding again next season, Shiga will have a spot on a roster in North America. Her speed and creativity make her a dynamic player whenever she represents her country. I can only imagine how things would shape up when she plays with the best in the world. The former Ottawa Charge forward posted an assist on Ukita’s goal, but had three or four dandy scoring chances, but kept getting robbed by Philbert.
France
Alice Philbert, G
Speak of the devil…I know I gave her props for her effort in a rough game on Thursday, but Philbert was the main reason France even had a shot at beating Japan on Friday. The 29-year-old came up with so many big stops throughout the game, including some grade-A opportunities in the final stanza to keep the game tied. With a 35-save outing, she was unquestionably France’s best player once again.
Manon le Scodan, F
I know it was Baudrit who scored for France, but le Scodan was all over the place. The Clarkson University forward created a number of scoring chances for her team with some slick hands and quickness. After France cut the deficit to one in the dying seconds of the game, le Scodan almost willed the puck toward from the face-off to tie the game. It might be tough for France to score for the rest of the tournament, but it’s a good sight to see a young offensive weapon developing, leading to the Winter Games in 2030.
Czechia 3, Switzerland 4 (SO)
It looked like the Czechs had it in the bag when a disastrous turnover led to Tereza Plosova scoring her first of the Games early in the third to put her team up 3-1. However, Switzerland fought back. A beautiful tic-tac-toe play led to Alina Müller making it a one-goal game. Then, with just a couple of minutes to go in regulation, Lara Christen jammed home a rebound to level the score.
Despite the teams combining for six shots on goal in the extra frame, neither side found the winner in overtime. So, a shootout was needed to determine a victor.
Czechia came back from an early deficit, with Michaela Hesova making some big saves. However, Ivana Wey scored in the ninth round of the shootout to secure the win.
Czechia certainly looked like a team that was hungry to bounce back after a disappointing effort against the Americans on Thursday. They went right after the Swiss, with star forward Kristýna Kaltounková scoring first just minutes into the game. The teams traded goals a few minutes later, as Laura Zimmerman and Natálie Mlýnková scored for their respective teams.
Czechia ended up outshooting Switzerland, 36-31, with Hesova turning away 28 shots in her Olympic debut.
The path to third place looks tough for Czechia (0-0-2). They have a day off before an important game against Finland on Sunday. Switzerland (1-0-0) is graced with facing a rested Canadian team that has yet to play in Milan on Saturday.
Switzerland
Saskia Maurer, G
In a big win, you have to point at the person who came up clutch. Some were surprised to see Maurer in net, but it paid off. Even when Czechia was in control, the 24-year-old was calm as a cucumber. Even in overtime, when the Czechs had a number of key stops, with another four coming in the skills competition. Maurer ended the day with 37 saves.
Laura Zimmerman, F
Despite the line of Stalder, Müller and Rahel Enzler looking fun to watch, Zimmerman proved how important she is to the team. The St. Cloud State product didn’t register a point in Beijing four years ago, but her goal was crucial in keeping Switzerland in the game early on. She ended up putting three shots on goal in just 14:14 of ice time. If Switzerland wants to sneak up third, they’ll need Zimmerman to produce some more.
Czechia
Natálie Mlýnková, F
While Kaltounková was in the spotlight on Friday, Mlýnková was surely fun to watch. Just like when she plays with the Montreal Victoire, you can tell she wants to score whenever she has the puck. She showed that prowess in her go-ahead goal in the first period. In just under 19 minutes of ice time, Mlýnková finished tied with Kaltounková for the team lead with four shots on goal.
Kateřina Mrázová, F
Mrázová’s veteran presence has been important in Czechia’s success in recent years, but her playmaking ability is what has made her one of the best in the world. That was noticeable in her setup of Mlýnková’s goal, with the Ottawa Charge forward creating several opportunities throughout the game.