The Czech Republic looks to impress at home

After a fifth place finish last year at the Women’s U18 Championships, the Czech Republic looks to make it to the semifinals this year in front of a home crowd. Beginning January 7th, the tournament returns to the Czech Republic. Players will compete in Zlin and Prerov, the two cities which hosted the event five years ago.

To succeed in their mission, the Czech Republic will depend on their large veteran presence. Of the 23-person roster, almost half are seventeen years old. Most notably, forward Klara Hymlárová will return for her last year with the U18 team. Hymlárová scored two goals and had one assist in five games last time around and will be looking to add even more offensive spark. Forward Veronika Bucifalová will also look to build on last year’s U18 where she had two points in only four games.

Still, the Czech Republic will also have some young talent on the team. Forward Christina Kaltounková is only fourteen and will be making her first major international appearance on the U18 squad. In U15 play, she has eighteen points in seven games this season. Even in just three games with the U18 group, she already has a goal. This tournament will be her time to showcase even more of her abilities.

The Czech Republic have a decent group to begin tournament play. Their first test will be on January 7th against Japan. They face Switzerland the following day, before getting a one-day break in advance of their match against Finland on the 10th. All games will be streamed on the official event website here.