2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from Switzerland vs. USA
The defending world champions continue to look unstoppable.
The United States kept its undefeated record intact with a convincing 5-0 win over Switzerland on Monday, as the team gears up for its biggest game of the preliminary round.
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.