Janecke, USA check off Czechia 5-1

Orangeville native assists two goals in 2026 Olympic opener

MILAN, Italy — Hayley Scamurra (Buffalo, N.Y./Montreal Victoire) scored a pair of goals as the U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team secured a 5-1 victory over Czechia to open the 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.

“Today was a great start, but every game we have to grow,” said John Wroblewski (Neenah, Wis.), head coach of the 2026 U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team. “We’ve cultivated a style of play over the last four years, and we’re in full trust of this team as Olympians. It’s cliché, but every game, we need to grow as a team.”

Team USA took the lead 15:55 into the opening frame. Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass./Seattle Torrent) deflected a Megan Keller (Farmington Hills, Mich./Boston Fleet) shot home 30 seconds into the game’s first power play.

U.S. netminder Aerin Frankel (Chappaqua, N.Y./Boston Fleet) made a crucial save with 1:32 remaining, as she extended her pad to stop a bouncing puck in the crease, which kept her team ahead after the first period. She finished the contest with 13 saves and earned her first Olympic victory.

Joy Dunne (O’Fallon, Mo./Ohio State University) doubled the U.S. advantage 3:13 into the second. She scored from the slot following a centering feed from Tessa Janecke (Warren, Ill./Penn State University).

Team USA struck again just 1:23 later, as Scamurra used a screen in front of the net to her advantage, surprising Czech netminder Klara Peslarova with a shot along the ice that slipped home to put her team up, 3-0. Janecke assisted.

Czechia cut the U.S. lead to two at 8:27, as Barbora Jurickova scored on a breakaway chance directly out of the penalty box.

Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho/Seattle Torrent) scored her 13th-career Olympic goal at 17:50, as she powered past a Czech defender and ripped a wrist shot past the glove of Peslarova to put the U.S. ahead by three.

Scamurra added her second of the contest at 4:22 of the third, snapping shot from the right faceoff circle home off a pass from Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn./Minnesota Frost).

Team USA is back in preliminary round action Saturday (Feb. 7) against Finland at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Puck drop is slated for 4:40 p.m. CET (10:40 a.m. ET) and the game will be broadcast on USA Network and streamed on Peacock.

NOTES: Team USA outshot Czechia, 42-14 … The U.S. went 1-3 on the power play, while Czechia went 0-1 … The U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team improves to 8-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in opening games at the Olympics and 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) over Czechia in Olympic contests.