U.S., Sweden into women's ice hockey semifinals at Milan-Cortina

MILAN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The women's ice hockey quarterfinals of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics started on Friday, with Sweden stunning the Czech Republic 2-0 and the United States overwhelming host Italy 6-0.

Sweden reached the semifinals for the first time since 2014. The win marked a major milestone for the country's young rebuilding project, which went undefeated in Group B.

The U.S. women continued their ruthless form, outshooting Italy 51-6 and scoring five unanswered goals in the second period. Kendall Coyne netted twice.

On the men's side, Finland beat Sweden 4-1 in a penalty-filled battle. Finland and Sweden now sit tied in Group B behind Slovakia, who remained perfect with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Italy.

In Group A, the Czech Republic survived a fierce French rally to win 6-3, and Canada's NHL-laden roster rolled past Switzerland 5-1. Sidney Crosby, now 23-2 in international best-on-best play, scored once, helping solidify Canada's top seeding. ■