Milano Cortina 2026 Blog: Torrent Shine In USA Opener

February 5, 2026 | Torrent's Carpenter, Knight, Bilka Power USA in Milano Cortina Opener

Torrent forwards Alex Carpenter, Hilary Knight, and Hannah Bilka and defenders Cayla Barnes and Aneta Tejralová took the ice for their first preliminary match-up of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, with Carpenter, Knight, and the Americans claiming a 5-1 victory over Tejralová’s Team Czechia.

The first goal for Team USA came off the stick of alternate captain Alex Carpenter, who opened her third Olympic tournament today in Milan. Long-time American stalwart and Torrent captain Hilary Knight tallied the game’s fifth goal off a neutral zone feed from Carpenter and went top shelf to put the Americans up 4-1 over Czechia. Torrent rookie Hannah Bilka tallied her first Olympic point on Knight’s goal.

Knight’s third-period tally marks the first time three PWHL teammates have combined for a goal at any Olympic Games.

Prior to being reunited on a line in the Torrent’s top-6, Carpenter and Knight have competed alongside each other for Team USA since the 2013 Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, where the pair claimed their first of seven World Championship gold medals together.

Tejralová saw nearly 18 minutes of ice time in her country’s opening round defeat. The 30-year-old defender from Praha, Czechia, is skating in just her second Olympic tournament but has been part of the Czech national team program since age 15.

Torrent forward Julia Gosling was slated to make her Olympic debut this afternoon for Team Canada opposite Finland, but an illness among the Finnish squad caused the match-up’s postponement. Gosling and the Canadians will stay rested until Saturday, when they’ll face off against Switzerland at 12:10 pm PT.

Tejralová and Czechia will be back in action Friday to take on Switzerland at 5:40 am PT. Barring no further health complications or postponements, Knight, Carpenter, and Team USA will square off against Finland on Saturday at 7:40 am PT.