MILAN — Hayley Scamurra scored twice, and the United States opened the women’s hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Games with a 5-1 win over Czechia on Thursday.

Alex Carpenter had a goal and assist, while captain Hilary Knight and Joy Dunne also scored for the Americans, who improved to 8-0 over the Czechs in international play. Aerin Frankel, making her Olympic debut in net, stopped 13 shots.

Laila Edwards had an assist while becoming the first Black female to represent America in hockey at the Olympics.

Barbora Jurickova scored Czechia’s lone goal. She was set up on a breakaway as she exited the penalty box to cut the Americans lead to 3-1 midway through the second period. Klara Peslarova finished with 37 saves. Czechia was outshot 31-9 through two periods.

Czechia’s roster includes two former UMaine players: forwards Tereza Vanišová and Vendula Přibylová. The Czechs are making just their second Olympic appearance, and lost to the Americans in quarterfinal round of the 2022 Beijing Games. They are 0-6 against the U.S. in world championship play, including a 2-1 loss in the semifinals in April.

The day’s only other scheduled Group A game, between defending Olympic champion Canada and Finland was postponed to Feb. 12. The Finns’ roster was down to eight skaters and two goalies, with the remaining 13 players dealing with a stomach virus that hit the team on Tuesday.

The Americans were greeted with a loud cheer and a “U-S-A!” chant began at puck drop.

Among those on hand in a nearly packed 5,000-plus seat Rho Ice Hockey Arena, were U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived about 12 minutes in, and departed with just over six minutes remaining. The large delegation that included USA Hockey officials and a security detail, filled a section of seats directly behind the penalty box and immediately opposite the U.S. bench.

Scamurra’s two goals are indicative of how deep the Americans are. She’s regarded as the team’s 13th forward in a jack-of-all-trades role. From Buffalo, New York, the 31-year-old doubled her Olympic goal output after scoring once at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Carpenter opened the scoring by tipping in Megan Keller’s shot from the blue line for a power-play goal with 4:05 left in the first period.

The tournament-favored Americans then blew the game open with three goals in the second period in building a 4-1 lead. Dunne and Scamurra scored 86 seconds apart in the first five minutes of the period.

Knight, 36, continued showing she’s not lost a step in making her fifth and what she says is her final Winter Games. Accepting Carpenter’s pass, Knight broke up the right wing and got two steps past defender Klara Seroiszkova. Knight drove to the net and lifted a shot to beat Peslarova high on the short side.

In an earlier Group B game, Lina Ljungblom scored twice in Sweden’s 4-1 comeback win over Germany in the tournament-opening game. Katarina Jobst-Smith’s goal early in the first period gave Germany the lead before Ljungblom’s two goals turned the game around. Mira Jungaker and Thea Johansson extended the Swedes’ lead.

Beating Germany is a big step in Sweden’s push to win Group B, where the lower-ranked teams play, and secure a better seeding for the quarterfinals. All five teams in Group A and the top three in Group B make the playoffs.

Italy defeated France 4-1 to post its first victory in the Olympics. France is making its Olympic debut. The game was the played at the main rink, the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, which faced scrutiny over construction delays.