Texas's Hannah Bilka ignites Team USA's Olympic hockey dominance, contributing crucial offensive pressure in back-to-back opening victories.
The Winter Olympics are fully underway, and while fans wait for the men’s ice hockey tournament to begin next Wednesday, there is already reason to cheer on the women’s side, especially for hockey fans in Texas.
A Lone Star State native making her mark for Team USA is Hannah Bilka, who has appeared in both games so far as the Americans opened Olympic play with two dominant performances. Team USA earned a 5–1 victory over Czechia in its opening game before following it up with a 5–0 shutout win over a strong Finnish squad.
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Bilka, a 24-year-old Coppell, Texas native, made an immediate impact in the opener against Czechia. She recorded an assist on the Americans’ fourth goal while skating 16:09 and firing three shots on net. In the second game, Bilka continued to be active offensively, registering four shots on goal in 15:12 of ice time, though she did not find the scoresheet.
Bilka and Team USA will look to keep their momentum rolling when the Americans face Switzerland on Monday as Olympic play continues.
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