Decker Hurt in Defending Champion US’s 5-2 Win Over Finland

BEIJING (AP) — Kendall Coyne Schofield and Alex Carpenter each scored twice, and the U.S. women’s hockey team began the defense of its Olympic title with a 5-2 win over Finland in a game overshadowed by an injury to American forward Brianna Decker.

The assistant captain and three-time Olympian yelped out in pain after being tripped from behind by Finland’s Ronja Savolainen midway through the first period. Decker was unable to place any weight on her left leg and was stretchered off the ice. In other games, Natalie Spooner and Claire Thompson had five points each in Canada’s 12-1 rout of Switzerland in Group A action. In Group B, the Czech Republic made its Olympic debut with a 3-1 win over host China, and Japan defeated Sweden 3-1.