The U.S. Women’s Hockey Team defeated the Russians 5-0 at the Olympics.

On Saturday, February 5, the second match of the group tournament of the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament took place in Beijing. In a rather tough match against the backdrop of general geopolitical tension between Russia and the United States, the Russian Olympic Committee team lost to the United States team without scoring a single puck.

The victory brought the U.S. team closer to its final gold-medal clash with its main rival, Canada, which the day before had defeated Finland 11 to 1 in a stunning and confident display.

As Reuters notes, there was a “Cold War” atmosphere during the U.S.-Russia game due to worsening relations between the two countries amid Western fears of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In the field of hockey, however, it is the United States that is currently the recognized and assured champion, and its women’s team has made the United States something of a “hockey superpower.

“Yeah, the game is getting tough, but I think it’s even fun! – Abby Murphy, who was right in the middle of the final scrimmage when the final shots were fired, told the media. – I like to bring a little bit of hooliganism to the team. Being a little tough is good for the team.

By all appearances, Canada and the United States will once again be the main contenders for Olympic gold in women’s hockey. Since 1998 – when women’s hockey became part of the Olympic program – these two countries have consistently won every gold medal, and are still the clear leaders in their class.