Murphy, Team USA a headache for Czechia

A constant thorn in Czechia’s side on Thursday, Evergreen Park native Abbey Murphy took a first-period penalty that helped the United States women’s hockey team open the scoring in a one-sided victory.

Outshooting Czechia 42-14 at the Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, the defending Olympic silver medalists won 5-1 in their first preliminary-round game of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. It improved Team USA’s record in Olympic openers to 8-0.

Causing havoc in the crease and along the boards the whole game, Murphy, a 23-year-old forward from the University of Minnesota who attended Mother McAuley High School, took an illegal check to the head behind the Czechia goal line with 15 minutes, 24 seconds elapsed in the first period.

The United States made Czechia pay 31 seconds later on Alex Carpenter’s deflection of Megan Keller’s slap shot from the high slot.

Leading 1-0 after one period and at times playing as if on a power play while at equal strength, the United States added second-period goals by Joy Dunne, Hayley Scamurra and Hilary Knight, who held off late pressure to loft her 13th Olympic goal over the left shoulder of Czechia goaltender Klara Peslarova.

First-time Olympian Tessa Janecke, of Warren, Illinois, registered 2 assists in the period.

Czechia pulled within 3-1 at 11:23 of the second period when Barbora Jurickova burst out of the penalty box, took Natalie Mlynkova’s stretch pass and sent the puck past the blocker of U.S. goalie Aerin Frankel.

Scamurra added a second goal in the third period for the 5-1 lead. An apparent trip by Team USA went uncalled, and Kelly Pannek sent a loose puck to Scamurra, who slid the puck under the screened Peslarova.

In her fourth Olympics, with 3:50 left to play Kendall Coyne Schofield of Palos Heights skated down the right wing for a great scoring chance, one of her 4 shots in 13:16 of ice time.

In her opponents’ faces throughout the contest, second-liner Murphy finished her 19 shifts with 3 shots.

“Certainly a champion in chirping,” broadcast analyst A.J. Mleczko said.

The United States plays its second preliminary game at 9:40 a.m. Central Standard Time Saturday against Finland, which postponed its game Thursday against Canada due to a virus affecting its roster.