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≡ USA WOMEN 5, CZECH REP. 1 ≡
MILAN, Italy – It’s been eight years since a U.S. women’s hockey team heard this much cheering or saw as many American flags at a Winter Olympic Games.
And the players hope this tournament will bring other echoes of 2018, specifically a gold medal.
On the day before the Opening Ceremony, Team USA kicked off its 2026 campaign by dominating the Czech Republic 5-1 at the Milano Rho Arena.
“It was amazing to hear the fans cheer and the momentum swings, the chants (of U-S-A, U-S-A),” said captain Hilary Knight, playing in her fifth Olympic Games. “It’s just so much fun. It really goes to show that you miss that. To be back in a best-on-best tournament with fans in the crowd, it’s special.”
After the Americans defeated perennial rival Canada 3-2 in PyeongChang, their neighbors to the north regained the upper hand in Beijing four years later. Due to the pandemic, no spectators from outside China were allowed, not even friends and family.
But on Thursday night, 3,766 spectators flowed into the Fiera Milano complex, walking down an incredibly long concourse with one moving sidewalk after another. Once inside the arena, they seemed to be releasing energy that has been pent-up for four years.
“That game just had so much buzz,” said Britta Curl-Salemme, making her Olympic debut, after being an alternate for Beijing in 2022.
Knight, 36, said the first game is always the hardest for the team, and with her experience she should know.
“Everyone did extremely well and I think for us it’s just simplifying the Games,” Knight said. “Everyone’s played hockey for decades, right? So at this point everyone’s battle-tested and knows what our role is and is out there executing.”
This team also has 12 Olympic rookies, some still in college, who are being tested in Milan. Joy Dunne scored a goal in her first Olympic game.
“Our first-timers really stepped up and it was just awesome to see them get on the board and just have a great game to kick off their Olympic experience,” said Kendall Coyne Schofield, who is playing in her third Games.
Hayley Scamurra, playing in her second Games, had two goals, while Knight and Alex Carpenter, also in her third Games, scored the others.
Carpenter opened the scoring in the first period. “When we let teams hang around, things can get dicey,” she said, “so I think a big thing for us is putting our foot to the pedal pretty early.”
The fifth goal, by Scamurra, was not cheered quite as loudly as Carpenter’s because the American scoring had become almost expected vs. the Czechs, who had only 14 shots on goal to Team USA’s 42.
“It was a testament to her craft and her workload today that she was able to convert on pretty much everything that touched her stick,” Knight said. “I was hoping she’d get a third, to be honest. She’s so diligent, she’s strong, she’s fast, she’s physical and she’s pretty explosive. She kind of checks every box for a hockey player.”
The Americans will have to carry this momentum throughout the tournament, which concludes Feb. 19.
Team USA took the gold in the inaugural women’s Olympic hockey appearance in 1998, then Canada won four straight crowns. Following that U.S. victory in 2018, Canada was back on top with a 3-2 win in Beijing. The Canadians have never missed a gold-medal game, while the U.S. won the bronze in 2006, also in Italy, and Canada beat Sweden 4-1 in the most lopsided Olympic final.
“We’re a confident group,” said Coyne Schofield, who said all of the American hockey teams have adopted Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” as their anthem.
“I think this team is just special top to bottom,” added Cayla Barnes, who is also an Olympic three-timer. “Everyone is selfless, puts the team first and is willing to do a job, whatever the job that is, and be great at it.”
Knight said she did not know that the official U.S. government delegation, led by Vice President J.D. Vance, was in attendance.
“We’re America’s team in the best way,” she said. “And through positivity and trying to inspire through sport, we just hold onto that. And whatever political climate’s going on, we’re just trying to have a positive impact through our play and show up and represent our country to the best of our ability. Because we are proud Americans and there’s great unity that we can find through sport together.”
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