Team USA put the hockey world on notice on Tuesday, defeating rival Canada 5-0 to remain unbeaten atop Group A in Milan — securing the Olympic tournament's No. 1 seed heading into Friday's quarterfinals.
While PWHL pro Hannah Bilka led the scoresheet with two goals, the University of Wisconsin provided the other three USA tallies, as current Badger stars Caroline Harvey, Kirsten Simms, and Laila Edwards all found the back of the net.
Edwards made more US hockey history in the process, as the 22-year-old became the first-ever Black woman to score an Olympic goal for Team USA.
With two assists from Harvey and a trio from University of Minnesota captain Abbey Murphy, young NCAA stars proved crucial to handing Canada their worst loss — and only shutout — in Olympic history.
Meanwhile, goalie Aerin Frankel stopped 20 shots in the clash to post her second shutout of the 2026 Winter Olympics, as an assist from captain Hilary Knight saw her tie hockey legend Jenny Potter's all-time US points record.
"Our team's making my life pretty easy," Frankel said postgame. "It's been so much fun to play behind them."
The defending gold medalists notably missed injured captain Marie-Philip Poulin in the loss, with the 34-year-old ruled out five hours before Tuesday’s puck-drop and still considered questionable ahead of Canada's rescheduled group-stage finale against Finland on Thursday.
Team USA, on the other hand, has now outscored opponents 20-1 through four Olympic hockey games, while also counting seven straight victories over Canada across all competitions.
"What's the hardest part of climbing the mountain? Getting home," USA head coach John Wroblewski said this week. "You think you've done something, that's when the mountain eats you up."
How to watch Team USA in the 2026 Olympic hockey quarterfinals
After Canada caps the group stage against Finland at 8:30 AM ET on Thursday, streaming live on Peacock, the top-seeded US will take on host nation and No. 8-seed Italy in the quarterfinal round on Friday.
The puck drops on the knockout clash at 3:10 PM ET, airing live on USA Network.
