Olympics-Ice hockey-Canada start title defence with win, Knight ties US record

By Amy Tennery and Trevor Stynes

MILAN, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Canada made a winning start to their Olympic title defence with a 4-0 win over Switzerland on Saturday as Hilary Knight tied the all-time U.S. women’s goals record in the United States’ 5-0 win over Finland.

Canada were made to wait after norovirus cases for the Finnish team forced the postponement of their opener, but they showed no signs of rust as they outshot Switzerland 55-6 and veteran forward Natalie Spooner scored in the second period

Forwards Sarah Fillier, Julia Gosling and Daryl Watts added goals in the third.

They next play the Czech Republic on Monday, while Switzerland will face a tough fight against top-ranked US on Monday.

Canada applied the pressure immediately in front of a rowdy crowd at Milano Rho arena in a chippy first period, where a would-be goal for Canada 11 minutes in was called off when it deflected off a high stick.

Referees broke up a brief altercation in front of the Swiss goal in the frantic final minute before the intermission and the sides came out of the locker room swinging, as Spooner broke the impasse on a power play midway through the second period.

Fillier flipped a wrist shot past the Swiss goalie to start the third period, after a boarding call on forward Ivana Wey left Switzerland shorthanded.

Gosling tipped one in with less than seven minutes left on the clock.

‘NO DOUBT’

The game capped the Group A Saturday action at Milano Rho, where Canada’s arch-rivals United States claimed their second straight win at the Games.

Knight tied the all-time U.S. women’s goals record at the Winter Olympics with a power play effort in the second period, while Alex Carpenter hit the game winner and Taylor Heise, Megan Keller and Abbey Murphy also scored.

“I want (Knight) to score more than anybody else,” said Keller. “There’s no doubt she’s going to break that record any time now. And I’m just honoured to get the chance to play with her.”

The U.S. will look to maintain an unblemished record in Group A when they play Switzerland on Monday, while Finland will hope to regroup against Czech Republic on Sunday.

U.S.Vice President JD Vance, who also attended the United States’ opener on Thursday and was booed during Friday’s opening ceremony, slipped into the stands during the first intermission to no fanfare.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Milan; Editing by Ed Osmond and Alison Williams)