Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek placed 17th in the competition on Feb. 9

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — The fans from the Czech Republic clanged cowbells and waved their red-white-and-blue tricolor for a sun-splashed Olympic victory they simply knew was coming. Then, they all looked down and checked their programs.

The U.S. women’s hockey team opened play at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a 5-1 win over Czech Republic.

The United States women's hockey team kicked off group play at the 2026 Winter Olympics with a win over Czechia on Thursday.

US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Milan on Thursday for the 2026 Winter Olympics, attending their first event shortly after landing in the northern Italian

The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics. MILAN — A team full of star power, the United States women got a balanced attack, including two goals from their 13th forward and a hard-working goal from their fourth line,

The U.S. women's hockey team will make its 2026 Winter Olympics debut with a matchup against the Czech Republic on Thursday. It will be a good test for the Americans, one of the two heavy favorites to win the gold medal in Italy, along with Canada.