Bilka scores 2 and Americans sweep Group A with dominating 5-0 win over Canada

MILAN (AP) — Hannah Bilka scored twice, and the United States’ youth and speed overwhelmed a Canadian women’s hockey team missing its captain in a 5-0 win at the Milan Cortina Games on Tuesday.

The lopsided victory clinched first place for the U.S. in Group A entering the quarterfinals, and continued confirming why the Americans entered the tournament as favorites. Team USA swept all four preliminary-round games by a combined score of 20-1, and brought back memories of how a Canadian team in its prime rolled to winning gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.

The tables have since turned, and it was evident on the scoresheet from a roster that features seven players still in college.

The University of Wisconsin's Caroline Harvey had a goal and two assists, with Badger teammates Laila Edwards and Kristen Simms also scoring. The goal was Edwards' first in her Olympic debut in being the first Black woman to represent the U.S.

University of Minnesota captain Abbey Murphy set up three goals.

Aerin Frankel stopped 20 shots for her third win and second shutout in her first Olympic tournament. And even 36-year-old captain Hilary Knight added an assist — the 32nd Olympic point of her career to tie Jenny Potter for most by a U.S. women’s hockey player.

Canada, meantime, opened tentatively, and then ran into penalty problems minus its longtime leader, Marie-Philip Poulin.

Poulin was ruled out about five hours before puck drop, and a day after she limped off with an apparent lower-body injury in the first period of a 5-1 win over Czechia. The 34-year-old Poulin is considered day to day, though it’s unclear when the player nicknamed “Captain Clutch” will be available for Canada’s closing game of the preliminary round against Finland on Thursday.

And Poulin’s availability is uncertain for Saturday, when Canada is scheduled to play its quarterfinal game.

The U.S. will open the quarterfinals against host nation Italy, which went 2-2 in clinching the third and final Group B playoff spot. The Americans are two-time Olympic gold medalists.

Whatever “O, Canada” buzz there was amid a large Maple Leaf flag-waving capacity crowd quickly dampened on a drizzly day outside the 11,600-seat Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. And the soundtrack instead became the sound of the U.S. goal song, Lynyrd Skynyrd's “Free Bird.”

Harvey opened the scoring 3:45 in by driving in from the left point and snapping a shot beating Ann-Renee Desbiens.

The Americans’ speed and quick-strike ability was evident on their next goal when Murphy chased down Harvey’s pass in the right corner. Murphy immediately spun and sent a no-look pass Bilka converted by driving to the net.

Simms made it 3-0 by jamming the puck over the line 72 seconds into the second period and Murphy set up Bilka for another one-timer some six minutes later.

Desbiens allowed five goals on 27 shots and was pulled after Edwards scored with 8:07 left. She was replaced by Emerance Maschmeyer, who finished with five saves.

Canada’s worst fears were realized in opening the game minus Poulin, after concerns were already raised after the U.S. dominated in sweeping a four-game exhibition pre-Olympic Rivalry Series. The Americans outscored Canada by a combined margin of 24-7.

The U.S. has now defeated Canada in seven straight meetings, dating to the preliminary round and gold-medal game of the world championships in April.

Though the Canadians kept the U.S. mostly to the perimeter, they were unable to generate any hint of a sustained offense. Canada was out-shot 11-4 through the first period -- and one shot credited to Canada included a dribbler on net from the neutral zone.

Rounding out the day is Finland playing Switzerland in a Group A outing.

Ebba Svensson Traff stopped 20 shots to post her first Olympic shutout and Group B champion Sweden completed its four-game preliminary round sweep with a 4-0 win over Japan.

Josefin Bouveng had a goal and assist, and Hanna Thuvik, Mira Hallin and Hanna Olsson also scored. Sweden outscored its opponents by a combined 18-2, and will play Group A’s third seed in the quarterfinals, which will be played on Friday and Saturday.

Sweden forward Hilda Svensson did not return after falling awkwardly into the boards five minutes into the game. The severity of her injury was not immediately known.

Japan finished 1-3, with its only victory coming against France, which finished the tournament 0-3-1. The ninth-place finish is the lowest for Japan in its five Olympic appearances, and after the nation finished sixth at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Laura Kluge’s breakaway goal with 1:29 left in regulation secured Germany’s 2-1 win over Italy and second place in the Group B standings. Emily Nix also scored for Germany.

Justine Reyes scored for Italy, which advanced for the first time in two Olympic appearances — both as the host team.

AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Canada's Brianne Jenner, left, challenges for the puck with United States' Caroline Harvey during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

United States' Kirsten Simms, left, scores her side's third goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Mike Segar/Pool Photo via AP)

US supporters cheer during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

United States' Kirsten Simms scores her side's third goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

United States players celebrate a goal by Kirsten Simms (9) during second period against Canaday in a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Germany's Emily Nix, left, scores her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Italy and Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, Pool)

Germany's Laura Kluge (25), at left, celebrates with teammates including Nicola Hadraschek (11) and Daria Gleissner (20) and Emily Nix (17), after scoring a goal in the first period 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 Suzuka Maeda, right, challenges Sweden's Hilda Svensson during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Japan's Yumeka Wajima cries end of a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Sweden's Hanna Thuvik, right, celebrates after scoring her side's opening goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Japan and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

PREDAZZO, Italy (AP) — Domen Prevc knew he had done something special when he landed his final jump. He rolled his fists in the air, pointing his fingers skyward and took a bow as Slovenian flags waved and the crowd roared.

Prevc's jump not only helped Slovenia defend its gold medal in the mixed team event at the Milan Cortina Games on Tuesday, but he and his sibling, Nika Prevc, became the first brother and sister to win a medal in ski jumping at the same Olympics.

“This medal is something I wanted since I started ski jumping,” Nika Prevc said. “But today I share it with my team and with my brother and this is even better.”

Norway took silver with a foursome that included a jumper who was suspended last year in a jumpsuit-tampering scandal that caused an uproar in the sport and brought shame to the country that invented it.

Japan captured its third bronze in the third ski jumping event of the Games.

The Prevc siblings arrived for their Olympic debuts as the top-ranked ski jumpers in the world. Both are defending world champions, each has a record for the longest jump and they both sit far ahead of their competition on the World Cup circuit.

But until Tuesday, the normal hill — the smaller of the two ski jumping hills — had not been the place for them to shine. Nika was teary-eyed Saturday after finishing second and Domen, who is not a standout on the normal hill, finished sixth on Monday.

Domen Prevc said he and his sister were inspired by teammate Nika Vodan, the only carryover from the gold medal squad from 2022, who had led off the contest with a 100-meter jump, putting Slovenia in the lead after the first 12 women jumped. Anze Lanisek followed in the next group with a 102-meter jump and the Prevc siblings came on strong each time Japan or Norway threatened.

Norway's team included Anna Odine Stroem, who won the gold medal in the women’s event Saturday, and Marius Lindvik, the reigning world champion who won gold on the men’s normal hill at the Beijing Olympics in 2022. Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal and Eirin Maria Kvandal were also part of the squad.

The Japanese team included Ren Nikaido and Nozomi Maruyama, who won bronze medals in the individual men’s and women’s competitions, and Ryoyu Kobayashi, who won gold in Beijing in 2022. The medal was redemption for Sara Takanashi, who had just missed a medal in the last Olympics, landing fourth in the women's event.

Lindvik said the silver brought redemption for him and took the tarnish off the team. He and teammate Johann André Forfang were suspended for three months last year after their coaches and a staff member were caught on camera tampering with their suits.

“It’s been a very tough year and a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “So it's nice to take the silver together with the team.”

Stitching was added to the suits to stiffen the crotch area, allowing the athletes to fly farther. The manipulation happened before the large hill event but was only discovered later, after Lindvik had won the silver medal. He was subsequently stripped of the award.

Neither Lindvik nor Forfang was charged with knowing about the stitch wizardry, but the international ski federation, FIS, the governing body for ski jumping, said the jumpers “should have checked and asked questions about the nighttime adjustments.”

The sibling record was a second of sorts for the Prevc family. Nika's silver medal in the individual event made her the first woman to join a brother — two in her case — to win Olympic medals in the sport.

The Prevc siblings' older brother, Peter, who has since retired from the sport, had led the Slovenian team to the gold in Beijing in the mixed event, taking advantage of jumpsuit violations by German Katharina Althaus and Takanashi.

Ski jumping has been part of the Olympics since the inaugural Winter Games in 1924, but women were only included for the first time in 2014. The mixed team event debuted in Beijing four years ago.

Peter Prevc paired with brother Cene, who is also now retired, and two others to win silver medals in the men’s large hill team event in Beijing.

Four of the five Prevc siblings now have Olympic medals — and that's the way it will stay because the youngest wants nothing to do with ski jumping.

But more medals for the two still competing are possible. Domen and Nika Prevc still have the large hill event next weekend and the men’s super team event is on Feb. 16.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Ren Nikaido, of Japan, reacts after his final round jump during the ski jumping mixed team competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Fans watch Nozomi Maruyama, of Japan, soaring through the air during the ski jumping mixed team competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Eirin Maria Kvandal, from left, Marius Lindvik, Anna Odine Stroem, and Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal, of Norway, celebrate after their final round jump during the ski jumping mixed team competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Domen Prevc, center, of Slovenia, celebrates with teammates Nika Vodan, Nika Prevc and Anze Lanisek, after winning the gold medal in the ski jumping mixed team competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Nika Vodan, from left, Nika Prevc, Domen Prevc, and Anze Lanisek, of Slovenia, pose after winning the gold medal in the ski jumping mixed team competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Predazzo, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)