U.S. routs Italy to advance to women’s hockey semifinals

MILAN (AP) — Kendall Coyne Schofield scored twice, and top-seeded United States routed Olympic host Italy 6-0 in a lopsided, festive and sometimes chippy women’s hockey quarterfinal at the Milan Cortina Games on Friday night.

Megan Keller, Laila Edwards, Hannah Bilka, and Britta Curl-Salemme also scored in an outing during which the U.S. had five goals in the second period. Gwyneth Philips finished with six saves as the Americans posted their fourth straight shutout.

The Group A-winning U.S. has outscored its opponents by a combined 26-1 in winning all five games, with the lone goal allowed in a 5-1 tournament-opening win over Czechia. With Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle making the scoresheet Friday, the U.S. has only two skaters — defenders Cayla Barnes and Rory Guilday — without a point.

The tournament-favored Americans advance to the semifinal round on Monday. They’ll play either Sweden, after the Group B winner upset Czechia 2-0 earlier in the day, or Germany, should the seventh-seeded team knock off Canada in its quarterfinal on Saturday.

Finland faces Switzerland on Saturday in a matchup of Group A’s fourth- and fifth-place teams.

The game featured dueling chants, with each chorus of “USA! USA! USA!” met with an even louder “EEE-TA-LIA!” And Italian fans kept their spirits up even as the score got out of hand by cheering for each and every scoring opportunity.

Italy stood little chance while making its second Olympic appearance, each time as the host team. Advancing to the knockout round was considered an accomplishment for the Italians, who went 2-2 in the preliminary round, and after going 0-4 at the 2006 Turin Games.

Goalie Gabriella Durante stole the show by stopping 19 of 20 shots through the opening period, and 45 overall.

Her best save came with 14 seconds left in the first period by reaching back and using the paddle of her stick to deflect away Abbey Murphy’s one-timer from the left circle.

Keller opened the scoring with a rising shot from the top of the right circle, beating Durante on the stick side 13:31 in.

It was only a matter of time before the floodgates opened, with the U.S. scoring three times over a 3:32 span in the first five-plus minutes of the second period. Coyne scored twice and Edwards capped the surge with a snap shot through a crowd that beat Durante on the glove side 5:47 into the second period.

Italy mustered just two shots on net in the first period, though Philips had to be sharp in kicking out her left pad to stop Justine Reyes’ breakaway opportunity eight minutes in.

Things also got heated following a scuffle after Bilka scored to put the U.S. up 6-0 late in the second period. As Murphy and Italy’s Franziska Stocker were sent off for penalties, U.S. coach John Wroblewski began shouting across the bench at Italy coach Eric Bouchard.

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