By JOHN WAWROW

MILAN (AP) — As top-seeded Team USA practiced a day before its quarterfinal matchup against host Italy, the Canadians were on the nearby main rink reminding everyone it might not be time to count them out of the women’s hockey Olympic tournament just yet.

It was evident in the sound of Canada’s goal song — Bachman–Turner Overdrive’s “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” — consistently echoing through the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena complex during a 5-0 preliminary round-closing win over Finland on Thursday.

The victory clinched the defending Olympic champions the second seed in Group A, and a quarterfinal meeting against Germany on Saturday.

More significantly, it represented Canada’s response to a 5-0 loss to the Americans on Tuesday, marking the women team’s most lopsided loss and first time being shut out in Olympic play.

“Of course we needed that. It felt good for all of us,” forward Laura Stacey said.

“We needed a good message to be sent, honestly to everybody, but more importantly ourselves,” she added. “I think we are a confident bunch. We know what we can do. Obviously, it wasn’t our best game the other night. But this is the Olympics here, and we regrouped. We battled, and came back really strong today.”

The game was initially scheduled last week, but postponed after Finland’s lineup was depleted by a stomach virus.

It’s on to the knockout round for the remaining eight-team field, and headed by the tournament-favored Americans, who swept all four games by a combined score of 20-1.

The U.S. will play Italy on Friday, the same day third-seeded Czechia will face Group B winner Sweden.

Canada’s quarterfinal outing is Saturday, along with Finland playing Switzerland in a matchup of Group A’s fourth- and fifth-place finishers.

U.S. versus Italy

The Americans get the easiest draw and face an Italian team making just its second Olympic appearance — both times as host — and finished 2-2 after going 0-4 at the 2006 Turin Games. Their roster is made up of numerous North Americans with Italian heritage, including leading scorer Kristin Della Rovere, who’s from Canada.

“I’m beyond proud of our team and our girls,” Della Rovere said of a team that clinched its berth with a 3-2 win over Japan.

“Yeah, we’re aware of who we’re playing, arguably the best hockey team in the world,” she said, referring to the U.S. “We’re going to focus on what we can control and play Italian hockey and hope to put up a good fight here.”

Italy will have the benefit of a home-crowd advantage, having drawn an average 6,937 fans to its outings — second-most behind only the U.S.

“We’re already excited, but to play Italy, I mean, they’re in Italy, and the crowds have already been great,” American defender Lee Stecklein said. “So we’re excited for a really good crowd and a really great hockey game.”

The U.S. and Canada in having never lost in the quarterfinal round in seven Olympic tournaments featuring women’s hockey.

Czechia versus Sweden

Czechia’s third-place finish comes four years after making its tournament debut. The nation’s program has been on the rise since. In four years under coach Carla MacLeod, the Czechs won consecutive bronze medals — the nation’s first — at the 2022 and ’23 world championships, and finished fourth in each of the past two.

Czechia’s roster features eight players from the Professional Women’s Hockey League — third-most among the competing nations.

Sweden is trying to re-establish its women’s hockey prominence 20 years after winning silver by upsetting the U.S. in the semifinals at Turin. Sweden’s roster is made up of a young core, with eight players 22 and younger, and seven currently competing at U.S. colleges.

Coach Ulf Lundberg declared Sweden’s “time is now” before the tournament opened. Sweden won all four games by a combined margin of 18-2.

“We’ve been aware of that from the beginning,” Swedish captain Anna Kjellbin said of high expectations. “We really did four good games here in the group. Now we just want to build off that.”

MacLeod is aware of Sweden’s talent by dismissing a question of them being a so-called dark horse before the tournament opened.

“I don’t know how dark that would be,” she said. “I think they’ve done incredible work over the last four years. They’re a great hockey team.”

Finland versus Switzerland

Finland is 4-1 in Olympic play against Switzerland, including a 3-1 win Tuesday. Finland otherwise, was shut out in its three other preliminary round games.

“I don’t think we should compare the last game to what the next game will look like,” Finland captain Michelle Karvinen said. “It’s a quarterfinal, everything is on the line and it’s going to be a totally different game.”

At least, she said, the team has put a stomach virus behind it.

“I actually feel great,” she said. “I think the whole thing might have just made us even closer, so I don’t think it’s any disadvantage for us or maybe even the opposite.”

Switzerland finished the preliminary round with a shootout win over Czechia, and three losses.

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AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics