2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from Feb. 9
On the second-to-last day of the preliminary round of the women’s tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, there were a number of crucial games across the board.
Teams in Group B battled to close in on quarterfinal spots, while the powers in Group A continued to ramp up to their highly anticipated matchup on Tuesday.
Check out what went down in Milan on Monday.
Japan 2, Italy 3
Italy, made up of both homegrown and nationalized talent, picked up its second win on home ice against an experienced Japanese team, giving Azzurre its second win of the tournament. It came four days after picking up the country’s first Olympic win, marking a seismic change in the program’s culture from its first appearance at the Winter Games two decades ago, when the team finished dead last in Turin.
Italy came out strong against Japan, with Matilde Fantin scoring a pair of goals to put her team out in front in the opening period.
Japan started to fight back, with Rui Ukita scoring her second of the tournament in the second period. However, the Italians went back up by two early in the third thanks to a highlight-reel goal from Kristin Della Rovere. Japan closed the gap within one after a goal was awarded to Akane Shiga just past the halfway mark of the third, but Italy’s defense locked it down in the closing minutes, securing the victory.
Japan outshot Italy, 29-23. Italy went 1-for-2 on the power play, while Japan went 0-for-3.
With the win, Italy (2-0-1) will finish either second or third, depending on how things play out on Tuesday.
Italy
Matilde Fantin, F
My goodness, can Fantin shoot the puck?
Even in watching her play a supporting role on a strong Penn State team in the U.S., you can see what makes Fantin a special player. She showed that she can be a star player and rise to the occasion. Her hands and speed make her tough to stop. On Monday, you could tell she was ready to play. She ended up leading Italy with five shots on goal in 20:10 of ice time.
Gabriella Durante, G
Heading into the Games, it looked like Italy was going to ride Martina Fedel until the cows came home. However, after a tough game against Sweden, head coach Eric Bouchard elected to go with Durante. The move paid off. When Japan’s offense started to ramp up in the second period, the Calgary-born netminder came up with some clutch saves to keep her team out in front. With one more game ahead of the quarterfinals, with a couple of days of rest in between, I’m curious if Durante is back in net against Germany on Tuesday.
Laura Fortino, D
One of the leaders on Italy’s roster, the two-time Olympic medalist has logged a lot of minutes so far in the tournament, mostly against the opponent’s top scorers. On Monday, she led her team with 30:22 of ice time, picking up an assist on Fantin’s power-play goal in the first period. For this being her third Olympics, and first since 2018, Fortino certainly hasn’t looked like she’s lost a step.
Japan
Akane Shiga, F
You have to give credit where credit is due. Shiga did everything she could to keep Japan in the game. Along with the flukey goal she was credited for, the Lulea forward led all skaters with eight shots on goal. You can see her creativity at full speed, recognizing where the openings are in the defense and generating offense when she attacks the back end.
Germany 2, France 1
From the opening puck drop, Germany was in control of the game, keeping the pressure on France’s back end and goaltender Alice Philbert. Yet, despite keeping Träger der Adler off the scoreboard for most of the opening frame, the plethora of penalties finally caught up to the French, as Laura Kluge buried a one-timer in the final minute of the first period to put the Germans on the board.
From there, France was simply hanging on for dear life. With slim hopes of avoiding last place in Group B, Philbert was at her best, facing the brunt of Germany’s attack. With every chance Germany had in the final two periods of regulation, the Concordia University product stood tall.
Her efforts were rewarded in the third, as Estelle Duvin scored in the third to tie the game. Neither team scored for the remainder of the frame, leading to overtime. Even though France had a chance early on, Jobst-Smith’s second goal of the tournament came just over a minute into the extra frame, ending the hopes of an upset.
Germany outshot France 47-14, and went 1-for-5 on the power play. The French went 0-for-3 with the player advantage.
The loss officially knocks France (0-0-4) out of quarterfinal contention. A multi-goal win on Monday, and losses for Japan and Germany on Tuesday could’ve pushed the upstart team to the quarterfinals. Despite scoring just four goals in four games, Les Bleus showed they won’t go down without a fight.
Though Germany (2-0-1) has two wins, picking up just two points against France means the final quarterfinal spot in Group B is up for grabs. They face Italy on Tuesday, needing just a point to advance. If they lose in regulation, Japan could finish third if they beat Sweden in regulation.
Germany
Nina Jobst-Smith, D
The more I watch Nina Jobst-Smith at this stage, the more I believe she’s the most underappreciated defender in the game today. Her ability to generate offense from the blue line is on par with the modern-day defender, but how she can carry the play when she’s on her A-game sets her apart. Also, that release on the OT winner was sick. Nothing Philbert could’ve done on that.
Luisa Welcke, F
Best game either of the Welcke twins played so far in this tournament. I mentioned how important the Boston University duo was going to be if Germany wanted to succeed, and both stepped up against France. Luisa exploited France’s weak blue line, creating numerous opportunities for herself and her linemates. Along with picking up an assist on Jobst-Smith’s game-winner, Luisa led Germany with nine shots on goal.
France
Alice Philbert, G
You have to give it up for Philbert. She played every game and gave it everything she had. She made another 45 saves on Monday, and almost stole one for her adopted country. The Quebec native ends the tournament with 179 saves, a number that’ll be tough to catch for even the netminders who make it to the gold medal game. Philbert had a goals-against average of 3.00 and a save percentage of .933.
Estelle Duvin, F
While France’s offense was few and far between throughout the tournament, Duvin’s hands made a few plays against Germany. The way she was able to undress German netminder Sandra Abstreiter in close to tie the game. She finished second on her team with 26:36 of ice time and led the French with three shots on goal.
Switzerland 0, United States 5
The U.S. came out hard and fast, making Swiss netminder Andrea Brandli work from the get-go. The attack never let up, even though Brandli did her best to keep the game reasonable. Switzerland only trailed by one after 20 minutes, thanks to the U.S. defender Haley Winn scoring her first as an Olympian. The gap was widened to two in the second with Joy Dunne’s first of the tournament as well.
The dam burst in the third period, as fellow Olympic rookie Hannah Bilka potted her first in Milan. Then, Alex Carpenter scored a beauty, with Caroline Harvey capping off the strong win with her first as well. All three goals came a little over six minutes apart.
Hilary Knight posted two assists in the win, placing her one point away from tying Jenny Potter for the most points by an American at the Olympics.
The U.S. ended up outshooting the Swiss 50-21 in the game, going 0-for-1 on the power play. Switzerland couldn’t score on its two chances on the player advantage.
The United States (3-0-0) has outscored its opponents 15-1 thus far in the tournament. They now get set to face Canada on Tuesday, with first place in Group A up for grabs. Switzerland (1-0-2) meets with Finland on Tuesday in a game that could determine who finishes third in the group.
United States
Alex Carpenter, F
I probably could’ve given her more props for her performances earlier in the tournament, but Carpenter’s ability to generate offense regardless of who she’s with makes her one of the game’s elite. Even though she played under 15 minutes, as head coach John Worblewski started rolling the line, Carpeneter finished tied for the team lead with four shots on goal. The Seattle Torrent forward ended up with a goal and an assist, earning a helper on the goal from…
Caroline Harvey, D
The player who can be used in any scenario at any point of the game, Harvey showed what she’s capable of against Switzerland. She picked up an assist on Bilka’s goal early in the third, while she undressed Brandli, leading to a gorgeous goal in the third to put the game on ice. Even though she’s still in college, she has proved to be one of the most important players on the U.S. roster. He led the team with 22:42 of ice time while putting three shots on goal.
Gwyneth Philips, G
In her first Olympic start, Philips had to be sharp, especially on Switzerland’s power play early in the first period. Her fantastic glove save kept the Swiss from gaining any momentum. Switzerland’s offense was able to generate more than it did in its loss to Canada, meaning the Ottawa Charge backstop had to be ready. Philips ended up making 20 saves, earning a shutout in her first appearance in the Winter Games.
Switzerland
Andrea Brandli, G
For anyone who has had Norovirus, you know how it can knock you on your butt and keep you on the couch for a while. Well, Brandli had to deal with that in her first few days in Milan, with her first game of the tournament coming against the dominant Americans. While things unraveled in the final 20 minutes, the veteran netminder did everything she could to keep Switzerland in the game through the first two periods. It certainly makes coach Colin Muller’s decision tough – whether to go back with Brandli on Tuesday against the Finns, or go back to Saskia Maurer, who played admirably in the Swiss’ first two contests.
Canada 5, Czechia 1
The big story coming out of the victory is the status of captain Marie-Philip Poulin. The legend suffered a lower-body injury after taking a hard hit from Czech forward Kristyna Kaltounkova near the halfway mark of the first period. While she tried to come out on the ensuing power play, Poulin quickly left the ice and went down the tunnel. She briefly returned to the bench near the end of the opening frame, but was absent at the beginning of the second, and was later ruled out for the rest of the game.
Then, with Canada well out in front late in the third, defender Erin Ambrose went down the tunnel after suffering an injury during the play that led to Czechia’s lone goal. She also didn’t return to the game.
It was a very physical game, as both teams were taking liberties with one another, both during the play and between the whistles. A total of 20 penalty minutes were accounted for, the most of any game in Milan so far.
Yet, Canada managed to persevere. The power play stayed hot, going 2-for-4 thanks to a pair of goals from Julia Gosling. The penalty kill allowed only one goal on Czechia’s four chances on the player advantage. At 5-on-5, Canada was able to flex its muscles as well, though the Czechs showed some fight when the game started to get out of reach.
Kristin O’Neill scored her first Olympic goal to start the scoring early in the first, with Sarah Fillier and Laura Stacey adding markers as part of a four-goal first period for the Canadians.
Czechia’s lone goal came in the third, with Natalie Mlynkova scoring her team-leading third of the tournament.
Canada outshot the Czechs 34-19. In her first start in Italy, Ann-Renee Desbiens turned away 18 shots for Canada. Julie Pejsova, Czechia’s third-stringer, got the start in goal, but was pulled after giving up three goals on 12 shots. Michaela Hesova gave up two goals on 22 shots in relief.
Czechia finishes the preliminary round with a 1-1-2 record. They currently sit third in Group A, though Switzerland and Finland play tomorrow, with the Finns having two games remaining. Canada (2-0-0) now faces the United States, with first place in the group up for grabs.
Canada
Julia Gosling, F
One of Gosling’s strengths, which made her an important piece in Canada’s gold medal run at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, was her ability to be a solid net-front presence. She showed that prowess with her two markers on Monday, giving her three over the first two games. With her size and strength, she can combat some of the Americans’ tougher blueliners.
Brianne Jenner, F
If you asked me back in the fall, I wasn’t sure what role Jenner would have on this Canadian roster. However, her hot start with the Ottawa Charge reinstilled faith that she can be a top scorer at any level. She shone against Czechia, picking up a couple of primary assists on Gosling’s two goals. Even with Poulin on the shelf, if Jenner can be a key part of the power play, Canada will utilize Jenner’s playmaking ability in the later rounds.
Sarah Nurse, F
Solid game from the star center. Even when she returned from injury with the Vancouver Goldeneyes, we weren’t sure what shape Nure would be in for the Olympics. She was involved in Fillier’s goal that was later credited as the game-winner and posted three shots on goal in just 12 minutes of ice time. The more she feels comfortable, the more I feel like Nurse can be the game-changer she became known as four years ago.
Czechia
Tereza Vanisova, F
While Kaltounkova spent more time in the box than I’m sure she wanted, Vanisova was a catalyst throughout the game. She picked up an assist on Mlynkova’s goal in the third, and finished tied with Kaltounkova for the team lead with four shots on goal. Vanisova’s ability to create opportunities going up against a team with a strong defense like Canada will be crucial if Czechia wants to compete for a medal on the Olympic stage.