ZUG, Switzerland — Canada's dreams of a third-straight gold medal at the world women's under-18 hockey championship are over after a 4-2 loss to Czechia in the semifinals.
Anezka Cabelova had two goals, and her linemate, captain Adela Sapovalivova, added a goal and an assist while Klaudie Slavickova had the go-ahead goal.
Sapovalivova's goal ended Canada's shutout streak which stretched back to right after the last time the two teams faced off.
Canada rallied back from a 2-0 second-period deficit to tie it up through goals from Chloe Primerano and Stryker Zablocki.
Czechia netminder Aneta Senkova kept her team in the game, saving 45 of 47 shots she faced.
Canada's Hannah Clark stopped seven of the 10 shots that came her way.
The Czechs have never beaten Canada or won a semi-final, and were previously comprehensively beaten 8-1 by the Canadians in preliminary play.
The result garnered praise from other Czech players and coaches.
Katerina Mrazova, who plays for Ottawa's PWHL team, says she's pleased for her countrymates.
"It's awesome. I'm really happy and proud of the group," she said after her team's 5-1 win over Toronto. "We watched that game on the phone before the game. I'm so happy for them."
Carla MacLeod, Ottawa's head coach, is also Czechia's women's national team head coach, and said the win is a testament to the growth Czech hockey is undergoing.
"In Czechia we're trying to build that confidence and learn how to win," she said. "To see them reach that reward, and they played a heck of game, so it's fun to know they're learning to win too."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2024.
The Canadian Press
