Beijing 2022 Ice Hockey - Team USA players to watch in the women’s semi-finals

Team USA meet Finland in the women's ice hockey semi-finals on Monday (14 February) as they continue the defence of their Olympic title at Beijing 2022.

The clash at the Wukesong Sports Centre is a rematch of the semi-final at PyeongChang 2018 where the USA enjoyed an emphatic 5-0 win.

The teams also met in the opening preliminary round match in Beijing with USA running out comfortable 5-2 winners.

That triumph came at a cost with PyeongChang gold medallist Brianna Decker stretchered off with a leg injury that ruled her out of the Games.

Victory for Team USA would see them play the winner of the clash between Canada and Switzerland in Thursday's final.

Here are some of the stars to watch for Team USA.

Hilary Knight

Hilary Knight scored her fourth goal of the tournament to cancel out Czech Republic's shock opener in the quarter-final.

Team USA went on to record a 4-1 victory after they had suffered defeat to Canada in the preliminary round.

This is the 32-year-old's fourth Games, following up silver at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 with gold in PyeongChang.

Knight has won eight World Championship titles and two silvers stretching back to 2007, a year after she made her debut at the 2006 Four Nations Cup.

After she scored against Czech Republic, she said: "High-pressure situations are fun. When you've been around long enough you understand how rare they are, so it's wonderful to be able to work through those."

Kendall Coyne Schofield

Team captain Kendall Coyne Schofield is competing in her third Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and scored the fourth goal against Czech Republic.

The 29-year-old was part of the title-winning team in PyeongChang, four years after her silver in Sochi and is also a six-time world champion.

Coyne Schofield has three goals and two assists in five games for Team USA, scoring the fourth against Czech Republic and setting up Knight’s goal.

Coyne Schofield is in her second year as a player development coach with NHL team Chicago Blackhawks.

Coyne Schofield became the first woman to compete in an NHL All-Stars skills competition at the 2019 NHL All-Star weekend.

In July 2018 she became the first woman to play in the Chicago Pro Hockey League.

Amanda Kessel

Amanda Kessel has two goals and four assists so far at Beijing 2022, tied for second on points for Team USA.

A three-time Olympian following previous appearances at PyeongChang and Sochi, Kessel is also a triple world champion.

Her brother Phil Kessel, who plays in the NHL for the Arizona Coyotes, represented the USA at two Games, winning silver at Vancouver 2010.

MORE: USA's Amanda Kessel on fire with big bro Phil supporting from home

Alex Carpenter

Alex Carpenter is playing in her second Winter Olympics, eight years after her debut at Sochi 2014.

The 27-year-old is Team USA's joint top goalscorer with Knight in Beijing having found the net four times so far.

She is in her fourth season in China having joined Kunlun Red Star in 2018.

Her father, NHL veteran Bobby, coached the men's side with Carpenter staying in China after the team was merged to become Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays.

Savannah Harmon

Savannah Harmon is making her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022.

It follows her World Championship bow last year where she won silver with Team USA on her first appearance at a global competition.

The 26-year-old has scored two goals so far in China, with her first coming in the 5-0 win against ROC.

After her first Olympic goal, she paid tribute to teammate Knight, telling Olympics.com: "She is so incredibly skilled, so I'm there (in front of goal) and in my head I'm like, 'She's going to figure out a way to get me this puck,' and there she does this incredible backhand.

"She gets position and slides it over so my job was really easy."

Maddie Rooney

Maddie Rooney will always be remembered for the final shootout save on Canada's Meghan Agosta in the shootout which won gold for Team USA in PyeongChang.

Then 20, Rooney made 29 saves in that game and had the best goals-against average in the Games at 1.16.

Since then she has won two world titles in 2017 and 2019.

Four years on, Rooney reflected on the difference between PyeongChang and the 2022 Games, telling USA Today: “I was new to everything and I didn't really know what to expect once we got over there and this time around – I went through that 2018 experience and I just feel more confident and prepared, and I know others would say the same thing."