MILAN, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Traditional powerhouses the United States and Canada recorded comfortable wins, while Germany and host nation Italy strengthened their knockout-stage hopes in women's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday.
In Group A, the United States remained unbeaten with a 5-0 victory over Switzerland. The Americans extended their long-standing Olympic dominance over Switzerland, who have yet to score against the United States in four Olympic meetings.
Caroline Harvey and Joy Dunne each had a goal and two assists, while Alex Carpenter added a goal and an assist for the United States.
The U.S. will face defending champion Canada in a highly anticipated preliminary-round clash on Tuesday. The rivals have met in six of the past seven Olympic finals, with Canada sweeping five Olympic titles to the United States' two.
Canada stayed second in Group A with a perfect record after a 5-1 win over the Czech Republic.
In Group B, Germany edged France 2-1 in overtime to keep its quarterfinal hopes alive. Katarina Jobst-Smith scored the winner after Germany controlled much of the play but was repeatedly denied by France goaltender Alice Philbert.
Italy delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament, upsetting Japan 3-2 to move into second place in Group B with six points.
While the United States and Canada are set for a decisive Group A showdown, Group B remains tightly contested, with Italy, Germany, Sweden and Japan all still in the race for knockout berths. ■
