Young Guns Fire: Team USA Blanks Switzerland to Stay Perfect in Milan

Read Time:2 Minute, 30 Second

On Monday afternoon, the U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team delivered another statement performance at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, shutting out Switzerland 5–0. With the victory, the Americans move to 3–0 in Group A, having outscored their opponents 15–1 through the first three games of the preliminary round.

While the veterans provided the steady hand, the story of the day was the explosive “youth movement” that has taken over the American roster.

The “Sophomore” Surge: Harvey & Dunne Lead the Way

The U.S. offense was headlined by two of the youngest stars in the program, both of whom recorded three-point nights:

Caroline Harvey (1G, 2A): The Wisconsin standout was a force on the blue line, capping her night with a highlight-reel goal in the third period where she faked a shot, deked past Swiss netminder Andrea Brändli, and tucked the puck home.
Joy Dunne (1G, 2A): The youngest player on the roster continued her breakout tournament, doubling the U.S. lead in the second period by banking a puck off a Swiss defender’s skate.

A Historic Debut in Net

With starting goalie Aerin Frankel resting for the upcoming showdown against Canada, Gwyneth Philips stepped into the crease for her Olympic debut.

The Performance: Philips was perfect, stopping all 20 shots she faced. Her most spectacular moment came late in the first period when she sprawled to make a glove save on a point-blank Swiss opportunity during a power play.
Closing the Door: Backup Ava McNaughton played the final 1:48 of the contest, ensuring the combined shutout remained intact.

Game Summary: Smothering the Swiss

Despite a heroic 44-save effort from Switzerland’s Andrea Brändli, the American pressure was relentless, resulting in a 50–21 shot advantage for Team USA.

First Period: Haley Winn opened the scoring at 6:04, tapping in a cross-crease pass from Harvey. It was Winn’s first career Olympic goal.
Second Period: The U.S. dominated possession but only found the net once via Joy Dunne, taking a 2–0 lead into the final frame.
Third Period Explosion: The Americans put the game away with three goals in the final 20 minutes from Hannah Bilka, Alex Carpenter, and Caroline Harvey.

Group A Standings & Stats

Team	Record	Points	Goal Diff
USA	3–0	9	+14
Canada	2–0	6	+8
Czechia	1–3	4	-5
Switzerland	1–2	2	-9
Finland	0–2	0	-8

Milestone Watch: With two assists on Monday, captain Hilary Knight now has 31 career Olympic points, leaving her just one point shy of tying Jenny Potter’s all-time U.S. record (32).

🗓️ Up Next: The Rivalry

The stage is now set for the most anticipated game of the preliminary round.

Matchup: USA vs. Canada
Date/Time: Today, Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 2:10 PM ET
What’s at Stake: The winner secures the #1 seed in Group A and the top overall seed heading into the Quarterfinals.