German Women's Ice Hockey Team Advances to Olympic Quarter-Finals, Set to Face USA or Canada

The German women's ice hockey team has successfully advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 Winter Olympics after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Italy, the host nation. This win allowed Germany to finish second in Group B, improving their standing and avoiding a match against the top team from the stronger Group A. The game at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena was tightly contested, with Italy initially taking the lead through Justine Reyes in the 21st minute. However, Germany responded with goals from Emily Nix in the 33rd minute and Laura Kluge in the 59th minute to secure their third victory in four games. Prior to this match, Germany had already achieved its minimum goal of reaching the quarter-finals following Japan’s 0-4 loss to Sweden. Looking ahead, the German team will face a major challenge in the quarter-finals against either the USA or Canada — the two powerhouses that have historically dominated women's ice hockey by winning all Olympic titles to date. This progress marks a significant improvement for the German squad, which was eliminated in the group stage during their last Olympic appearance in 2014 in Sochi. The team, coached by Jeff MacLeod, now aims to continue their strong performance against one of the sport’s elite teams in a bid to reach the semi-finals.