Jake Mozarsky
Following Team USA’s dominant preliminary run — capped by a historic 5-0 shutout of rival Canada — the Americans continued their march toward gold with a clinical 6-0 victory over host nation Italy on Friday. While the Italians entered as the tournament’s feel-good story after reaching their first-ever Olympic quarterfinal, the top-seeded U.S. proved to be an insurmountable hurdle. The Americans’ defensive unit has now reached legendary status, securing its fourth consecutive shutout while outscoring opponents 21-0 over that span.
The contest began as a testament to the resilience of the host nation, as Italian goaltender Gabriella Durante put on an inspired performance in the opening frame. Despite the U.S. peppering her with 20 shots in the first 20 minutes, Durante’s heroics limited the damage to a single Megan Keller goal. However, the floodgates opened in the second period as the Americans’ depth and speed took over. Led by Kendall Coyne Schofield, who netted two goals in quick succession, the U.S. erupted for five goals to effectively end any hopes of an Italian upset before the final intermission.
Statistically, the game was a total siege, finishing with a lopsided 51-6 shot differential in favor of the United States. While the offense provided the fireworks, the blue line provided the history; phenom Caroline Harvey recorded two assists to reach 9 points for the tournament, officially setting a new U.S. Olympic record for points by a defender in a single Games.
Now, the Americans turn their focus to the semifinals on Monday, February 16, where they await the winner of the Switzerland-Finland matchup with their eyes firmly set on reclaiming the Olympic crown.
Here are the stats from the blowout of the hosts in Milan.
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Jake Mozarsky joined The Sporting News as an Editorial Intern in August 2025 after earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University. He has previously written for Marquee Sports Network, Chicago This Week, Inside NU and The Daily Northwestern.
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