No Mercy in Milan: Team USA Silences Host Italy to Reach Semifinals

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On Friday night, February 13, 2026, the U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team moved one step closer to gold, dismantling host nation Italy 6–0 in the quarterfinal round. In front of a raucous, partisan crowd at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, the top-seeded Americans silenced the home fans with a clinical second-period explosion that extended their historic shutout streak.

With the win, Team USA (5–0) advances to the semifinals, having outscored their Olympic opponents by a staggering combined score of 26–1.

The Brick Wall: Four Straight Shutouts

Goaltender Gwyneth Philips earned her second shutout of the tournament, though she was rarely tested by a defensive-minded Italian squad.

Shot Counter: The U.S. outshot Italy 51–6.
The Streak: The Americans have now posted four consecutive shutouts (Finland, Switzerland, Canada, and Italy). They haven’t allowed a goal in over 250 minutes of play, dating back to the second period of their opener against Czechia.
Italian Heroics: Despite the score, Italian netminder Gabriella Durante was the star of the night for the hosts, making an incredible 45 saves to prevent the game from reaching double digits.

Second Period Surge

After a frustrating first period where the U.S. outshot Italy 20–2 but only led 1–0 on a Megan Keller goal, the floodgates finally opened in the second frame.

Kendall Coyne Schofield led the charge with two goals, including a spectacular sharp-angle strike that deflated the Italian defense.
Laila Edwards continued her breakout tournament with a laser into the top corner.
Britta Curl-Salemme and Hannah Bilka added goals to complete a five-goal middle period that effectively ended the contest.

Knight Watches from the Threshold

Captain Hilary Knight recorded an assist in the win, keeping her in a tie with Jenny Potter for the most career Olympic points in U.S. history at 32. While she didn’t find the back of the net Friday, she remains just one goal away from becoming the all-time leading Olympic goal scorer for the U.S. women.

Game Box Score: USA 6, ITA 0

Period	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
USA	1	5	0	6
Italy	0	0	0	0

Leading Scorers: Coyne Schofield (2G), Keller (1G, 1A), Edwards (1G, 1A).
Power Plays: USA (0-for-5), Italy (0-for-3).
Penalty Minutes: Things got “chippy” late in the second, with 10 total penalties handed out following a scuffle between Abbey Murphy and Italy’s Franziska Stocker.

The Road to Gold: Semifinal Monday

The Americans have officially punched their ticket to the final four. They are joined by Sweden, which pulled off a massive upset by knocking out bronze-medal hopeful Czechia 2–0 earlier on Friday.

Next Game: Olympic Semifinals
Date: Monday, February 16, 2026
Time: 10:40 AM ET (4:40 PM Local)
Location: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
Opponent: TBD (Winner of Saturday’s Canada/Germany or Finland/Switzerland matchups)