A host nation can give you a loud building and a nice anthem. It cannot give you a shortcut through a roster like the United States has. After a 6-0 quarterfinal win over Italy, Team USA advanced to the Olympic semifinals Monday, when it will face off against Sweden.
U.S. coach John Wroblewski was frustrated with the officiating against Italy, but not the result. The Americans have been a juggernaut so far in the 2026 Winter Games. Now they’re just one win away from playing for their third goal medal in women’s hockey Olympic history.
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How to watch USA vs. Sweden in the women’s hockey semifinals
Venue: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena — Milan
Date: Monday, Feb. 16
Time: 10:40 a.m. ET
TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
Be sure to check out The Athletic’s Olympic schedule interactive page and Games Briefing, a daily Olympics newsletter.
In Milan, the U.S. has made opponents play its own style hockey: low oxygen, few clean looks and no room for improvisation. In the prelims, Team USA went 4-0 in Group A, capped by a 5-0 shutout of Canada that was less a hockey game than a weather event — the kind of performance that doesn’t invite a comeback so much as foreclose the possibility of one.
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The U.S. scored five goals in each of its first four games and allowed one total, with goaltender Aerin Frankel logging two of those shutouts behind a blue line that treats the middle of the ice like private property.
Frankel also runs an Instagram account devoted to reviewing Caesar salads, a highly specific hobby that has somehow become Olympic Village canon. The handle is @painbyromaine, and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like: greens, grading and dead-serious analysis of croutons.
Sweden moved into the semifinal round Friday with a 2-0 win over Czechia. Win, and the U.S. will get a rematch in the next round against either Canada or Switzerland for the gold medal. Lose, and the U. S. will still get a rematch — but for the bronze instead.
Women’s hockey schedule
All times below are ET.
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Semifinals
Monday, Feb. 16
USA vs. Sweden 10:40 a.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Canada vs. Switzerland: 3:10 p.m. (Peacock); 4:15 p.m. (USA, joined in progress)
Finals
Thursday, Feb. 19
Bronze medal final: 8:40 a.m. (Peacock)
Gold medal final: 1:10 p.m. (USA, Peacock)
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Olympics, Women’s Hockey, Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey
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