In a disappointing turn of events, the Canadian women’s hockey team faced a 5-0 defeat against the United States on Tuesday during the Olympic preliminary rounds in Milano-Cortina. Missing captain Marie-Philip Poulin due to a lower-body injury sustained in the previous night’s 5-1 victory over the Czech Republic, Canada struggled to find its rhythm, with Brianne Jenner stepping in to captain the team.
The U.S. quickly took control of the game, with Hannah Bilka scoring two of the five goals and leading the charge for her team, which concluded Group A with an impressive 4-0-0-0 record. Caroline Harvey contributed to the scoring with a goal and two assists, while Kristen Simms and Laila Edwards also found the back of the net. Goalie Aerin Frankel displayed a strong performance, achieving a 20-save shutout.
Despite some moments of opportunity, Canada’s offense struggled throughout the match, mustering only 10 shots compared to the 27 from the U.S. They failed to capitalize on two power-play chances, including a missed four-on-two advantage that resulted in an offside call. Canada’s defensive lapses and inability to maintain puck possession allowed the American team to dictate the pace of the game.
The matchup marked the first encounter between the two rivals since the U.S. completed a four-game Rivalry Series sweep in December, where they outscored Canada 24-7. As the game progressed, the U.S. took commanding leads of 2-0 and 4-0, showing their dominance in both offense and defense.
The Canadian team, now standing at 2-0-0-1 in the group, is set to finish in second place, regardless of the outcome of their final preliminary game against Finland, which had been postponed due to multiple cases of norovirus within the Finnish team. With this loss, Canada will prepare for their quarterfinal match against Germany on Saturday, hoping to regroup and deliver a stronger performance.
As they move forward, the Canadian women’s hockey team has the opportunity to learn from this setback and build on their previous successes. With resilience and determination, they can still aim for a podium finish in the tournament.