Ice hockey-US wallop Canada, Finland beat Swiss, Germany edge Italy and Sweden stay perfect

MILAN, Feb 10 : The United States stunned arch-rivals Canada 5-0 at the Milano Cortina Games on Tuesday, and Finland beat Switzerland 3-1 in the other Group A game of the women's Olympic ice hockey tournament.

Germany took second place in Group B after a 2-1 win over Italy and Sweden ended the group stage unbeaten with a 4-0 win over Japan.

The top-ranked Americans are hungry for revenge after losing to Canada in the gold-medal game four years ago and sent a message with a lop-sided drubbing that few expected from the typically well-matched powerhouse teams at Santagiulia Arena.

The win saw the United States clinch the top spot in Group A. Canada, which had never before been shut out in women's Olympic play, have more work to do before the knockouts with a game against Finland on Thursday, and are currently second on six points.

Forward Hannah Bilka scored twice while forward Kirsten Simms and defenders Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards added goals, as Canada were suffering without their long-time leader Marie-Philip Poulin, who was injured on Monday.

The game at Santagiulia was widely expected to be a preview of the championship, with the United States and Canada the only two nations to top the podium since the event joined the Olympic programme in 1998.

The U.S. will play hosts Italy in the last eight.

FINNS JUMP TO EARLY LEAD

Following a scoreless first period, Finland took the lead converting on the first power play of the game as Viivi Vainikka scored her side's first goal of the Games early in the second period and Julia Liikala made it 2-0 just over six minutes later.

Switzerland scored a shorthanded goal three minutes before the end of the second period, Alina Muller taking the puck all the way from the neutral zone to