Ohio State Women’s Hockey Stars Win Gold at 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy

Posted By on February 19, 2026

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Joy Dunne, U.S. women’s hockey’s youngest player, is making her mark at the Olympics | Yahoo Sports

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan have been a successful trip for The Ohio State University, as three Ohio State women’s Hockey players won a Gold medal for the United States.

Milan, Italy, is the host of the special event held every four years. The Ohio State University Women’s Ice Hockey team was well represented, with 11 current and former players selected to four different national teams. Each of the eleven women is competing for a medal: seven for Gold and Silver, and four for Bronze. Four current Buckeyes, Hilda Svensson, Jenna Raunio, Joy Dunne, and Mira Jungaker, all played for their chance at one of the sport’s top prizes. 

For the United States, the Buckeyes were represented by Hannah Bilka, a 2024 graduate and current member of the Seattle Torrent of the PWHL. Bilka scored three goals during the tournament to help secure a spot in the Gold medal game. Joy Dunne, who was the youngest player on the United States roster and a current junior forward for the Buckeyes, contributed a goal in the United States 5-0 win against Switzerland in the final game of the group stage. Dunne also came up huge on several defensive stops, including in the Gold medal game against Canada.

Cayla Barnes, also a 2024 graduate, scored a goal in the 5-0 win against Sweden in the United States Semifinals matchup. All three women helped contribute in major ways as the United States took home an Olympic Gold medal. The win came by way of an Overtime Thriller when Megan Keller put the puck in the back of the net to secure the win.  This was the United States first Gold Medal victory since 2018, where they also defeated Canada. 

Canada was represented by four former Buckeyes: Sophie Jaques and Emma Maltais, both 2023 graduates; Jenn Gardiner, a 2024 graduate; and Natalie Spooner, a 2012 graduate. All four women helped contribute in their own ways to lead Canada to a Silver Medal. Maltais had an assist in the Canadians’ 5-1 win against Germany in the quarterfinal round. Natalie Spooner adds another Silver medal to her collection, bringing her to two Gold medal teams and two Silver medal teams. This marks Jenn Gardiner, Sophie Jaques, and Emma Maltais’s first medals in their Olympic careers. 

Andrea Braedli, a 2022 graduate and current goalkeeper for Frolunda FC, helped lead Switzerland to win a Bronze Medal, their first since 2014. Braedli had a huge game against Finland, finishing with 40 saves in their 1-0 victory. This is Braedli’s second Olympics, with her last appearance coming in a Bronze medal loss to Finland in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. 

Hilda Svensson, a current freshman forward, helped Sweden advance to its first Bronze Medal game since 2014, where it came up short against Switzerland. This time around, they would end up coming short once again after a heartbreaking loss in Overtime from a last-second goal by Switzerland’s Alina Muller. Svensson, alongside fellow freshman Jenna Raunio and sophomore Mira Jungaker, were all competing in their first Olympic games.

Svensson scored two goals during the tournament, while Mira Jungaker helped contribute with a goal against Germany and the opening goal against Switzerland in the Bronze Medal game. Jenna Raunio also put together an impressive Olympic performance, recording 4 assists in total during the tournament. 

The four current Buckeyes, Mira Jungaker, Hilda Svensson, Joy Dunne, and Jenna Raunio, all look to return to Columbus in time to continue their goals at an NCAA National Championship. The Buckeyes are currently 28-4 and number two in the nation, with their only losses coming at the hands of number one Wisconsin (3x) and number three Minnesota. 

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