MILAN (AP) — Host nation Italy secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Olympic women’s hockey tournament for the first time by beating Japan 3-2 on Monday.
Germany followed by claiming its spot in the next round with a 2-1 overtime win over France.
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France's Estelle Duvin, bottom, scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Germany and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Germany's Katarina Jobst-Smith (28) celebrates scoring the winning goal with Germany's Lilli Welcke (23) in overtime against France during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Italy's goalkeeper Gabriella Durante fails to save the puck as Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Italy players celebrate end of a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Both Italy and Germany improved to 2-1 and join Sweden (3-0) in completing the three Group B nations to clinch a quarterfinal berth. Japan and France were eliminated from contention.
Italy advanced in just its second Olympic appearance, both as the host, after going 0-4 at the 2006 Turin Games and finishing last among the eight-team field.
“I think this is everybody’s dream coming true,” Italy’s Canada-born goalie Gabriella Durante said. “Hopefully this just grows hockey in Italia that much more for little girls all over the country.”
Matilde Fantin scored the first two goals, giving Italy a 2-0 lead after the first period.
After Rui Ukita scored for Japan in the second period, Italy responded with Kristin Della Rovere scoring in the third. Akane Shiga’s goal in the third period, confirmed after a lengthy video review to check the puck had crossed the line, kept the pressure on Italy.
Italy’s players poured off the bench at the buzzer to hug Durante, who made 27 saves.
“We had so many people blocking shots and dumping pucks in, just hard work that hurts the body,” she said. “Everybody’s willing to sacrifice for the family and it’s really an amazing feeling to win like that.”
Katarina Jobst-Smith scored for Germany 1:17 into overtime by snapping in a shot from the high slot just inside the left post. Laura Kluge also scored and Sandra Abstreiter stopped 13 shots.
Estelle Duvin forced OT by scoring 8:21 into the third period, and Alice Philbert stopped 44 shots. France finished 0-4 in its Olympic debut, and was outscored by a combined margin of 13-4.
Later Monday, the tournament-favored United States will be seeking its third tournament win with a game against Switzerland in Group A. Defending Olympic champion Canada (2-0) will face Czechia.
AP Sports Writer James Ellingworth contributed to this report.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
France's Estelle Duvin, bottom, scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Germany and France at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
Germany's Katarina Jobst-Smith (28) celebrates scoring the winning goal with Germany's Lilli Welcke (23) in overtime against France during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Italy's goalkeeper Gabriella Durante fails to save the puck as Japan's Akane Shiga scores her side's second goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Italy players celebrate end of a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Third baseman Caleb Durbin was traded to the Boston Red Sox in a six-player deal with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday after finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting last year.
Milwaukee acquired left-handers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton from Boston for Durbin and infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. The Red Sox also are receiving a competitive balance round B pick in July's amateur draft, about 67th overall.
Durbin, who turns 26 on Feb. 22, could fill Boston’s opening at third base created when Alex Bregman left as a free agent to sign a $175 million, five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.
The Red Sox acquired Willson Contreras to play first base, and Durbin can play second or third. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the team hadn’t decided where Durbin would play but said he expects him to be a regular starter.
“We’re just excited about getting a really good player into the organization, and we’ll figure out where he fits best,” Breslow said. “It just doesn’t feel like it makes sense to commit to anything right now.”
The 5-foot-7 Durbin batted .256 with a .334 on-base percentage, 11 homers and 18 steals in 136 games while helping the Brewers win a third straight NL Central title and reach the NL Championship Series last season.
Milwaukee acquired Durbin and left-hander Nestor Cortes from the New York Yankees for closer Devin Williams.
The Brewers had the third- and fourth-place finishers in the voting for the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year award that went to Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, but neither player remains with the organization. Outfielder Isaac Collins, who finished fourth in the balloting, went to Kansas City along with pitcher Nick Mears in a December trade that brought left-handed pitcher Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee.
Durbin’s exit from Milwaukee leaves the Brewers with an apparent opening at third. Joey Ortiz was the Brewers’ starting third baseman in 2024 but shifted to shortstop last season. Hamilton, among the players coming over from Boston, played one game at third base last year but primarily has worked at second base and shortstop.
Jett Williams, one of the players Milwaukee acquired in a Jan. 22 trade that sent two-time All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets, also will get some reps at third base this spring training. Williams has played second base, shortstop and the outfield in the Mets organization.
Sal Frelick worked out at third base in spring training in 2024 but won a Gold Glove in right field that year and has remained in the outfield ever since.
Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said the abundance of infield prospects in Milwaukee's talent-laden farm system made the team feel good enough about their long-term future to make this deal.
“You also start looking at the future here with Jesus Made, Cooper Pratt and Luke Adams, Luis Peña and Andrew Fischer, there are just a lot of these types of guys coming we feel like in our system who could absolutely handle the left side of the diamond that have really high upsides,” Arnold said. “We feel like we have the ingredients now to weather the loss of somebody like Caleb Durbin, who obviously meant a lot to our franchise. But we feel really good about the infield depth both now and in the future as well.”
Monasterio, a 28-year-old with experience at every infield position, hit .270 with a .319 on-base percentage, four homers and 16 RBIs in 68 games for Milwaukee last season. Seigler, 26, batted .194 with a .292 on-base percentage, no homers and five RBIs in 34 games.
Harrison, 24, was a combined 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA in eight appearances for the Red Sox and San Francisco last year. He came to Boston as part of the 2025 trade that sent Rafael Devers to San Francisco.
Drohan, 27, has never pitched in the majors. He went 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 54 innings in 15 combined appearances with Triple-A Worcester and High-A Greenville last season.
“Harrison’s not that far removed from being one of the best pitching prospects in the sport,” Arnold said. “Drohan had an outstanding year last year in Triple-A. Both those guys are really exciting for us to add.”
Hamilton, 28, hit .198 with a .257 on-base percentage, six homers, 19 RBIs and 22 steals for Boston last year. That followed a 2024 season in which he batted .248 with a .303 on-base percentage, eight homers, 28 RBIs and 33 steals in 98 games.
Milwaukee selected Hamilton out of Texas in the eighth round of the 2019 draft, then traded him to the Red Sox in 2021.
“Hamilton’s a guy we know very well,” Arnold said. “He’s an elite baserunner. He's really fast. He's a really good defender. He's an exciting player.”
AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen in Boston contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Boston Red Sox's David Hamilton during a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
FILE - Boston Red Sox pitcher Kyle Harrison delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game, Sept. 20, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, file)
FILE - Milwaukee Brewers' Caleb Durbin celebrates after scoring against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Oct. 16, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
