Czechia After One

Nearly 6,000 fans packed the stands in České Budějovice to watch the Lionesses compete in the top division tournament for the first time at home. They filled Budvar Arena with sound as they sang, chanted, and stomped throughout the match. The reward? A fine performance, highlighted by a 26-save clean sheet for Klára Peslarová. 

Game One

Switzerland was a great first opponent for Czechia in this tournament, allowing them to get their legs under them before facing some likely tougher competition in their next games. The Lionesses took the first period to find their rhythm, but they still put away two goals before the first intermission. Minnesota Frost forward Klára Hymlárová sent a fast shot over Andrea Brändli’s glove to earn Czechia’s first of the tournament.

The second goal came just 11 seconds into Czechia’s only power play opportunity of the game. In her senior national team debut, Kristýna ‘Kalty’ Kaltounková won the initial faceoff and then made herself open for a beautiful pass from the Ottawa Charge’s Kateřina Mrázová. Kalty let loose with her deadly shot over Brändli’s glove to double Czechia’s lead.

Czechia really locked in during the second period. Players were very aware of each other on the ice and they made great rushes and passes. There were a lot of chances that didn’t see great finishes, which is something to keep an eye on going into the games where they can expect to have less time and space. But the fourth line managed to earn a lucky goal by their grit and perseverance.

The Lionesses took several penalties for body contact, facing what might be called an uncertain standard for what constituted a legal versus illegal hit. That’s something they’ll have to be careful about in the next few matches, but against Switzerland, the penalty kill was up to the task.

The Czech player of the game was Kaltounková, deservedly so for her playmaking, her 66% win rate on faceoffs, and several significant blocks, in addition to her powerplay goal. Rather than play at center, Kaltounková’s position through her NCAA career, she was deployed as the right wing on Mrázová’s top line across from Adéla Šapovalivová. This combination looked very good against the Swiss, seeming to have already developed chemistry despite limited practice time.

Defender Andrea Trnková registered assists on each of Czechia’s even-strength goals, and 18-year-old Barbora Juříčková, who was the thirteenth forward, also made a positive impact as she was cycled in.

Looking Ahead

Czechia will face the United States on Friday after a day off. The Americans crushed Finland 7-1 on the first day of competition, establishing themselves as a major threat in this tournament. The Lionesses will then take their back-to-back assignment against Finland on Saturday. 

USA vs Canada will be the highlight game on Sunday, and Czechia will face Canada on Monday, which could give an advantage to the hosts. The Lionesses will then have two days off before the start of the quarterfinal match-ups.

Game Recap Video