MILAN — The U.S. women’s hockey team so thoroughly overwhelmed rival Canada that coach John Wroblewski issued a reminder that the 5-0 victory still left the Americans a long way from Olympic gold.

“What’s the hardest part of climbing the mountain?” the fourth-year coach asked.

“Getting home,” he said, answering his own question. “If you ever feel good about climbing Mount Everest, it’s the way down. Oh, you think you’ve done something, that’s when the mountain eats you up.”

This was just a preliminary-round meeting between the sport’s two global powers. The gold-medal game isn’t until Feb. 19.

The Americans are three wins away from a third gold medal after their lopsided victory over a Canadian team missing its captain, and clinched first place in Group A entering the quarterfinals. It was a performance that continued confirming why the U.S. entered the tournament as favorites.

“I don’t think it’s any easier than expected,” forward Tessa Janecke said of Canada’s most lopsided loss in Olympic play, and first time the team has ever been blanked.

“I think we go in with the same mindset, and I think it was just a good team win overall for us,” she added. “So I think we just went in and did it like any other game. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”

Team USA swept all four preliminary-round games by a combined score of 20-1, and brought back memories of how a Canadian team in its prime rolled to winning gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.

The tables have since turned, and it was evident on the scoresheet from a roster featuring seven players still in college.

The University of Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey had a goal and two assists, with Badger teammates Laila Edwards and Kristen Simms also scoring. The goal was Edwards’ first in her Olympic debut in being the first Black woman to represent the U.S.

University of Minnesota captain Abbey Murphy set up three goals.

Canada opened tentatively, and then ran into penalty problems minus its longtime leader, Marie-Philip Poulin, who sustained a lower-body injury in a 5-1 win over Czechia a day earlier.

The U.S. will open the quarterfinals against host nation Italy, which went 2-2 in clinching the third and final Group B playoff spot.

The U.S. has defeated Canada in seven straight meetings, dating to the preliminary round and gold-medal game of the world championships in April.