On Saturday, Feb. 7, the USA took on Finland for the women’s ice hockey Olympic Tournament. USA played their first game on Thursday against Czechia, where they won 5-1. This game was Finland’s first, since they had to postpone their game on Thursday due to illness.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Tournament
After 20 minutes, Team USA had the lead thanks to a late-period power-play goal. By the end of the middle frame, the team was up by four goals. It was in the third period that the USA scored its fifth and final goal. With Finland not making a goal off any of their 11 shots, USA shut out Finland 5-0.
Knight Ties the Women’s Olympic Goal Record
Heading into this Olympic tournament, Team USA’s captain, Hilary Knight, put a lot of pressure on herself. She announced this would be her fifth and final Olympic Games, and she was headed to this tournament with something to prove.
Team USA was already up by three goals, but the team didn’t let another power-play opportunity go to waste. A minute remained on the opportunity, and Laila Edwards passed it straight to Knight’s stick as she was next to the goalpost. She quickly got in position, and her shot hit the crossbar and went in.
With this power-play goal, Knight now ties Katie King and Natalie Darwitz for the all-time goals scored by an Olympian representing the USA at the Olympics. All three women have scored 14 goals. Now that she has tied the record, Knight will aim to shatter it and set a new one in her final Olympic Games.
Frankel Records First Olympic Shutout
While Team USA dominated in scoring, goaltender Aerin Frankel was also good in net. She stopped all 11 shots Finland took on the net, recording her first-ever Olympic shutout. Even though she didn’t have a chance to stop many shots, she was still perfect.
Frankel has been a strong member of the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). She became the first goaltender in the PWHL to record 1000 saves. Her performance in this game demonstrated her diligence in performing well for her team.
This tournament marks Frankel’s first time representing the USA at the Olympics. After her strong performance in this game and in the PWHL for the last three seasons, she has been a women’s hockey goaltender to keep an eye on.
Two USA Players Scored Their First Olympic Goals
This was a milestone game for two more players on Team USA as well. Both Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy scored their first Olympic goals.
Taylor Heise is another player in the PWHL; she currently plays for the Minnesota Frost. She was the first overall draft pick for the PWHL’s inaugural draft. The 2026 Olympics mark her first time representing her country on this stage, but Heise has been competing at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) level for the past four years. She helped Team USA win silver in 2022 and 2024 and earned gold medals in 2023 and 2025.
Abbey Murphy also scored her first Olympic goal in this game, and it was the final one. This is her second Olympics, as she helped the USA win silver in 2022 in Beijing. Murphy currently plays for the University of Minnesota and is projected as one of the first players to go off the board at the 2026 PWHL Draft, alongside first-time Olympian Laila Edwards.
In the last two games, Edwards has recorded an assist but has yet to score her first goal. She continues to find scoring opportunities, so hopefully she scores in the next few games.
Finland Plays Sunday, USA Plays Monday
Finland might have had to postpone their first official game, but their first and second games will have a quick turnaround. Finland will be back on the ice on Sunday at 3:10 PM ET when they take on Czechia. The USA has a short break before they play against Switzerland on Monday at 2:40 PM ET.
