The U.S. women won handily, 5-1, in their first hockey match of the Games, facing Czechia in the Group A preliminary round.

The quest for Olympic gold in women’s hockey begins on Thursday, and we’re here to set the stage by counting down the best players in the game.

Only two players return to wear the red, white, and blue for the men's team since their quarter-finals exit in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing: Jake Sanderson (OTT) and Brock Faber (MIN).