On Feb. 13, the USA and Italy faced off against each other in the women’s ice hockey quarterfinals of the Winter Olympic tournament.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Tournament
In the middle of the first period, Team USA was up by one goal. By the end of the second, they had scored five more, giving them a six-goal lead. There was no change in score by the third period, resulting in a 6-0 shutout win for Team USA over the home nation’s team. Italy has now been eliminated from the tournament.
Coyne With Two Back-to-Back Goals
Just a minute into the second period, Kendall Coyne Schofield scored to give her team a two-goal lead. Three minutes later, she scored her second for a back-to-back chance.
The 2026 Olympics mark Coyne’s fourth time representing her country at the Olympic level. She has played all five games of the tournament so far, but these are her first two points she has recorded in 2026. This is a significant tournament for her because this is her first time competing as a mother. She didn’t want her son to be the reason she stopped playing hockey, so certainly these two goals are for him.
Bilka Nets Her Fourth of the Tournament
Team USA scored six goals in this game, and the last one was scored by Hannah Bilka. She scored with just a minute and change left in the middle frame off a brilliant pass from Taylor Heise.
Unlike Coyne Schofield, this is Bilka’s first time representing the USA at the Olympic level, but one wouldn’t believe it. This goal marked her fourth of the tournament, and with her one assist, it brings her point total to five, and she has played in all five games.
The 24-year-old currently plays in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for the Seattle Torrent. Just like at the Olympic level, she plays in Seattle alongside legendary hockey player Hilary Knight. Bilka is a great example of the talent that is still in the American circuit. This might be Knight’s last Olympic Games, but Bilka is just getting started.
USA Goaltending Continues to Dominate
Gwyneth Philips was in the net again for Team USA, and she delivered. Her team did a good job of stopping Italy’s advances, taking 51 shots compared to the host country’s six. However, Philips still did her part and stopped all of Italy’s shots. She recorded her second straight shutout of the tournament.
She and Aerin Frankel have been an unstoppable force for Team USA, as they have now recorded four shutouts in their five games in this tournament. Their last four games have resulted in shutouts, and they have only allowed one goal so far.
This is both goaltenders’ first time representing the USA at the Olympic level, and both have left a lasting impact. During the regular season, both play in the PWHL. Frankel plays for the Boston Fleet while Philips plays for the Ottawa Charge.
Frankel made history last season when she became the first PWHL goaltender to record 1,000 saves. With her two shutouts in the Olympic tournament, there’s no surprise as to how she got to this achievement so quickly.
This is Philips’ first season as the Charge’s starting goaltender, and she has done a great job keeping them in games. She has played in 14 of their 16 games so far this season and has earned a record of 8-6-0. Just like with Frankel, Philips’ performance in this tournament has established how vital she is to the Charge and how strong she is as a goaltender.
Team USA is moving on to the semifinals. Will they continue to shut out their opponents as they progress?
USA Advances to Semifinals
Team USA will participate in the semifinals on Monday, Feb. 16.
