2025 Worlds Report Card: Czechia

The Czech Lionesses suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to Finland in the bronze medal game. Missing out on the bronze medal for the second year in a row would be devastating enough, but missing the podium the first time Czechia hosted the Championship was a special kind of loss.

“We didn't want to disappoint the fans, we wanted to win a medal for them,” said defender Dominika Lásková.

All seven Czech games at the tournament were sold out. After the final loss, the home fans were on their feet, cheering for the Czech team loud enough to be heard on the broadcast.

They also booed loudly enough during the presentation of trophies to the game’s officiating crew to drown out the IIHF’s celebratory music.

While observers of the bronze medal match could conclude that the officiating gave Finland the advantage they needed to push the game to overtime, it was hesitation from the Czechs that allowed Finland to take the win. To a degree, the game served as a representation of the tournament itself: this was a very good Czech team that was felled by small issues.

Recap

Czechia didn’t have the experience they were hoping for in the round robin. They opened the tournament with a confident 3-0 victory over Switzerland, then suffered a 4-0 loss to the US. On a back-to-back, Czechia lost to rival Finland 4-2. Their final round-robin game against Canada was tight until the third period, when an explosion of offense from the visitors saw the game end 7-1. 

Matched up against Switzerland again in the quarterfinals, the Czechs seemed to find their footing once more with a blistering 7-0 victory in which Natalie Mlynkova recorded her second career WWC hat trick. The semifinal game against the United States was probably their best game of the tournament although it finished with a 2-1 loss.

And finally, the Czechs went up 3-0 in the bronze medal game against Finland. Then, they conceded an even-strength goal and two power-play goals, and then another in 3-on-3 overtime.

Goaltending: B+

Klára Peslarová was named to the tournament All-Star Team, as voted by the media. She earned two wins, both shutouts, a .914 save percentage, and a 2.59 goals against average.

For the most part, Peslarová looked a lot better in this tournament than she had any right to. She has played only two periods of hockey with the Boston Fleet this season, but she showed up in this tournament like a true starter. Peslarová shut out Switzerland twice and put up an amazing performance against the Americans in the semifinals. She had a collapse in the game against Canada, allowing three goals in 58 seconds, but her play was solid enough through the rest of the tournament that she deserved the All-Star recognition.

Czechia’s backup, Michaela Hesová, may have had an even more notable performance, although it’s not shown in her metrics. The 19-year-old starter for Dartmouth turned heads when she played against the US during the round robin. She conceded four goals on 48 shots, including one goal where the play wasn’t whistled dead despite her blocker coming off for an extended period of time. That was Hesová’s only start in the tournament, but the rising sophomore is one to watch for the future.

Defense: B-

This defensive group looked solid, but not spectacular. Aneta Tejralová and Daniela Pejšová led the group, averaging over 20 minutes a game, closely followed by 22-year-old Sára Čajanová with 19:44. The injury to Dominika Lásková definitely impacted the flexibility and capability of the group. The blueline was lacking in the kind of dynamic offensive opportunities she is able to create. With the core group of veterans, Czechia’s defense is one of the best in the world, but they are still waiting for the kind of depth that can really let them challenge the top teams.

That being said, I was impressed by the other defenders Czechia brought. Tereza Radová, and Klára Seroiszková showed that they deserve to be on this team and earned their spots in the rotation. 21-year-old Andrea Trnková in particular made an impact in her minutes, and with two more seasons in the NCAA ahead of her, she could develop into the kind of defender this team needs.

Forwards: B+

Despite injuries that limited some of Czechia’s best players, their forward group put on a show. Their dogged forecheck, physicality, and group cohesion allowed them to attack in waves and turn defense into offense. At the end of the day, what this group lacked was finishing ability. Pressure didn’t turn into shots on goal; scoring chances didn’t show up on the scoreboard.

New arrival Kristýna Kaltounková was named to the media All-Star Team in her first senior Worlds appearance. She had the kind of composure that this team needs to display when playing against the North American teams. Her offensive skills were flashy, but she also had one of the best faceoff percentages in the tournament. However, she also finished second in the tournament with 10 penalty minutes, behind only the ejected Daryl Watts of Canada.

18-year-old Adéla Šapovalivová was probably Czechia’s best offensive player, although she only picked up three points. Her forechecking created turnovers, scoring chances, and headaches for opposing sides. One can only imagine what she’ll look like after a few seasons at Wisconsin.

Denisa Křížová would have been one of my picks for Top 3 Players of the Tournament for Czechia. She put up a very impressive two-way performance, constantly putting the puck in dangerous areas and negating opponents heading the other way.

Natálie Mlýnková secured her spot as a top PWHL prospect with her second hat trick in a row at the WWC. She stuck to opposing skaters like glue, creating turnovers and attacking the net every chance she got.

I could go on, but I’ll just highlight the performances of the other young stars on the roster. 18-year-olds Tereza Plosová and Barbora Juříčková started the tournament on Czechia’s fourth line, but earned more time as the tournament progressed. Plosová’s size, hands, and hockey IQ allowed her to make an impact in the offensive zone, while Juříčková stood out with her details despite playing only 7:32 a game at her first senior tournament. They have the potential to grow into the kind of threats Czechia needs in their lineup.