USA women’s hockey defeats Switzerland, improving to 3-0 as Canada matchup looms

MILAN — In the final game before the one everyone has been waiting for since a 4-0 sweep of Canada in the Rivalry Series two months ago, the United States improved to 3-0 in the preliminary round of the 2026 Winter Olympics with a systematic 5-0 win over Switzerland.

The U.S. and Canada will meet for the first of what most assume will be two times Tuesday night at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

Caroline Harvey and Joy Dunne each scored a goal and two assists. Haley Winn, Hannah Bilka and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans and Gwyneth Philips, making her first start of the tournament. She made 20 saves and combined for the shutout with Ava McNaughton, who got almost two minutes of action and made a save.

Hilary Knight had two assists and now has 31 in her Olympic career, one short of Jenny Potter’s record for the U.S.

Andrea Braendli, the Swiss No. 1, made her first start of the tournament and looked terrific in the first two periods of a game where the Americans controlled from the outset.

She stopped 16 of 17 shots in the first period, then 17 of 18 in the second period, to continually frustrate the United States until they broke through in the third. They finished with 50 shots.

But in the end, Switzerland just couldn’t mount an offensive attack.

Harvey looks the part

There’s a reason why many feel Caroline Harvey, the Wisconsin Badgers star, will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft.

She’s an all-world skater and decision maker and can be dynamic with the puck.

Harvey, the Best Defender at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships, was dangling in and out of traffic all game, ripped a shot off the post and was constantly creating, such as her pinch up the wall to set up Winn’s first goal of the tournament.

The United States’ third goal — a redirection off Taylor Heise’s slap pass – came after Harvey flew down the boards, circled the net and threw a perfect pass in front for Heise’s setup.

It was Harvey’s second assist of the game before she added a highlight-reel goal in the third period.

There’s a reason why coach John Wroblewski kiddingly calls her the fourth Hughes sibling because of how she plays similarly to Quinn, Jack and Luke Hughes.

This story will be updated.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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