The Medal Round of the Women's Ice Hockey Tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 began today with 29 of the PWHL’s 61 Olympians on the ice for the first two Quarterfinals, and the other 32 scheduled to hit the ice tomorrow. Below is a recap of today’s results, notable performances, and a closer look at action ahead.
FRIDAY’S QUARTERFINAL RECAP
UNITED STATES (6) VS. ITALY (0)
Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield scored her first two goals of the tournament as part of a five-goal middle frame that led the United States to an eighth straight Olympic semifinal. Boston captain Megan Keller opened the scoring at 13:31 of the first period and joined Frost forward Britta Curl-Salemme with a goal and an assist in the contest. Seattle’s Hannah Bilka capped the scoring with her team-leading fourth goal, while forwards Alex Carpenter (SEA), Taylor Heise (MIN) and Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) each found the scoresheet with an assist along with defenders Lee Stecklein (MIN) and Haley Winn (BOS). The U.S. dominated 51-6 in shots, with Ottawa’s Gwyneth Philips earning her first official shutout after sharing a clean sheet during the preliminary round. Italy’s second appearance as the host nation comes to an end after making history with their first two wins on the Olympic stage. Toronto’s Kristin Della Rovere, the only PWHL player on Italy, was the team’s top scorer with four points (2G, 2A) in five games.
SWEDEN (2) VS. CZECHIA (0)
New York’s Maja Nylén Persson assisted on the winning goal at 4:47 of the second period, and captain Anna Kjellbin of Toronto set up the empty net goal with 25 seconds remaining in the final frame to lead Sweden into the semifinals for the first time since 2014. The last time they won an Olympic medal was silver in 2006, also claiming bronze in 2002. Czechia is eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second straight time at the Olympics after falling 4-1 to the U.S. in 2022. Montréal rookie Natálie Mlýnková, one of eight PWHL players on Czechia, led the team with four points (3G, 1A) in five games.
RECORDS AND MILESTONES
- Carpenter is tied with Cammi Granato for fifth in all-time U.S. Olympic scoring with 18 points (11G, 7A) in 17 career games.
- Coyne Schofield moved up to seventh on the all-time U.S. Olympic scoring list with 17 points (9G, 8A) in 22 career games.
- Keller became the seventh U.S. skater and just the second American defender to reach 10 career assists, one shy of the record held by Tara Mounsey.
- Curl-Salemme scored her first Olympic goal in her fifth career game.
- Philips became the 11th U.S. goaltender to record an Olympic shutout.
- Nylén Persson is tied for fifth on Sweden’s all-time Olympic scoring list with nine points (2G, 7A) in 16 career games.
- Della Rovere finished her first Olympics as Italy’s all-time leader with four points, also setting a single tournament record.
- Mlýnková finished her second Olympics as Czechia’s all-time leading goal scorer (4) after setting a new single tournament mark (3).
- Tereza Vanišová (VAN) remains Czechia’s all-time points leader with seven (2G, 5A) after two Olympic appearances, contributing one assist in this tournament.
SATURDAY’S QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW
10:40 A.M. ET: CANADA (A2) VS. GERMANY (B2)
Seattle’s Julia Gosling has made the most of her Olympic debut, leading all 23 PWHL players on Canada in scoring with five points, including three power play goals. Toronto’s Daryl Watts, another first-time Olympian, and New York’s Sarah Fillier, who won Olympic gold in 2022, both have two goals and two assists in a trio of preliminary round wins. Canada has made the final in all seven Olympic tournaments, winning five gold medals (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022). Boston’s Laura Kluge (3G, 4A) has been one of the breakout stars of the tournament, tied for the overall scoring lead in the preliminary round and setting a German record with seven points in her first Olympics. Also setting German records from the PWHL, Vancouver’s Nina Jobst-Smith's two goals are the most by a defender and Montréal’s Sandra Abstreiter’s three wins are the most by a goaltender. Germany will compete in the playoff round for the first time in four Olympic appearances.
3:10 P.M. ET: FINLAND (A4) VS. SWITZERLAND (A5)
The first rematch of the 2026 Olympic tournament comes on the heels of Finland’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday, backed by a 14-save performance by Ottawa rookie Sanni Ahola, one of four Finnish players in the PWHL. The roster also includes Charge defender Ronja Savolainen, Fleet forward Susanna Tapani, and captain Michelle Karvinen (1A) of Vancouver, competing in her fifth Olympic games and poised to tie the all-time record for career games played with 29. She’s been a part of three of Finland’s four Olympic bronze medal victories in 2010, 2018 and 2022. Boston’s Alina Müller leads Switzerland with two goals and three points and is now the Swiss all-time leading goal scorer (14) and tied for eighth in all-time points (26) by a women’s hockey player at the Olympic Winter Games. She famously led her country to its first, and only Olympic medal as a 15-year-old with the winning goal to secure bronze in 2014. New York’s Nicole Vallario anchors the Swiss blue line.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
- The Athletic - She’s married to Marie-Philip Poulin. But Laura Stacey has emerged as a star of her own for Canada
- Olympics.com - Kendall Coyne Schofield exclusive: “Becoming a mom has changed me for the better”
- NBC News - Rory Guilday's long road from chemotherapy to the Olympics
- Pioneer Press - Finally, Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle are Olympic teammates
- Daily Faceoff - The skill gap between teams is closing in women’s hockey at the Olympics
JOCKS IN JILLS
Tessa and Julia recapped the first day of the Quarterfinals in the Jocks in Jills live reaction show following Friday’s action. The pair reflected on Team Italy’s performance at Milano Cortina 2026, highlighting the pride and tenacity the team displayed throughout the tournament. They were then joined by two-time Olympic medalist Courtney Kennedy for her popular “Courtney’s Corner” segment, where she discussed Team USA punching their ticket to the semis with a 6-0 win over Team Italy. The conversation then shifted to Group B underdog Team Sweden, who beat Team Czechia in Friday’s quarterfinal contest. Four-time Olympian and Olympic bronze medalist Florence Schelling added her expert perspective, offering further insight into the day’s results. Watch the episode here.
Up Next: Tessa and Julia are off to Milan to cover the remainder of the tournament in person, bringing fans closer to the action with special guests and expanded coverage as the stakes rise. The next episode of Jocks in Jills drops Sunday, Feb. 15, featuring a full breakdown of Saturday’s quarterfinal matchups and a preview of the semifinals. Tune in live on the PWHL’s YouTube channel and follow Jocks in Jills across social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.