Czech goalie Klara Peslarova makes another save as USA forward Abbey Murphy and Czech defender Klara Seroizskova jockey for position in front of the net.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDREA CARDIN
A huge effort from Czechia pushed Team USA to the limit in Saturday’s first semi-final in Ceske Budejovice. But the Americans survived the scare, cancelling out Tereza Plosova’s opening goal with efforts from Laila Edwards and Kelly Pannek to break home hearts at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
“It hurts for the girls,” said Czechia’s head coach Carla McLeod. “We played an incredible game. We didn’t back down, we were highly physical in our own zone, and we kept ourselves in the contest.
“It’s a heartbreaker that way but it’s another step in our journey of trying to get to the level that we know we want to be at. Today we showed ourselves that we can get there.”
But if the final outcome was expected, the game was anything but routine. Czechia fought like Lionesses, hassling and harrying the Americans at every turn. A huge defensive effort, with total buy-in from every player, was augmented by courage on the counterattack to pose a huge test for the USA. Having previously lost 1-7 and 1-9 in World Championship semi-finals, here the Czechs played with an empty net in search of a tying goal.
And USA head coach John Wroblewski was impressed by what he saw from both teams. “I thought it was just an amazing showing by the Czech players,” he said. “Every loose puck meant the world to them, every blocked shot meant everything to them. I’ve just got so much respect for the ways the Czechs played and, with that, I’ve got so much respect for the way that our team got the victory. That was a really tough game to play.”
Another capacity crowd in Arena Ceske Budejovice greeted the teams with a cauldron of noise at the start of Czechia’s semi-final against the USA. They travelled from right across the nation – from Opava on the Polish border to Pardubice in the heart of the country. All eyes were on South Bohemia.
If it was mission of hope more than expectation against an American team that has never lost a Women’s World Championship semi-final, it would be hard to find a Czech fan who didn’t believe in a modern-day miracle on ice.
The Americans, of course, have been here before. High-stakes games are in the DNA of a team that expects the highest of standards. Yet, with the crowd going crazy for every blocked shot and greeting each clearance with the enthusiasm of a goal, there were signs that the USA was unsettled in the first period.
Early on, the first significant attacking foray from the host nation saw Cayla Barnes react angrily Adela Sapovalilova after first significant Czech foray. Then Czechia got the first power play of the game when Hayley Scamurra sat for holding. The PP came to little, but it was a reminder that a fired-up Czech team was not here to make up the numbers.
Goalie Klara Peslarova was kept predictably busy by the American offence, making 13 saves in the first period and standing firm when Hilary Knight and Edwards threatened on the power play.
And the Czech goalie picked up the plaudits from U.S. goalscorer Pannek. “She played phenomenal,” Pannek said. “In this tournament, great goaltending is kind of expected. She definitely was huge for their team, and I think their team rallied around it. It makes it frustrating right when you’re getting great looks and great chances and can’t find the back of the net maybe as early in the game as we would have liked. She played a great game, and we’re glad we were able to get a few by her.”
Meanwhile, the home heroes created chances of their own. Michaela Pejzlova saw a shot padded away after a two-on-two rush, Kristyna Kaltounkova had a big chance in front after Sapovalilova took the puck from Scamurra.
And in the 16th minute the noise hit a new level when Czechia took a sensational lead. Klara Hymlarova’s persistence got the puck from Savannah Harmon behind the U.S. net. In front, Plosova took an age to bring it under control and the chance seemed to be gone – until she found the perfect finish as Lacey Eden’s desperate slide arrived too late to make the block.
“[Hymlarova] did a really good forecheck and then she passed to me,” said the goalscorer. “I just shot on the net and it went in. That was incredible.”
That was only the second time the Czechs had ever led the USA in World Championship play. The previous occasion lasted just 3:05 in a 2-6 loss in 2023; this lead held until midway through the second period.
There was no panic in the American play despite trailing. The pressure steadily built up on the Czech net and the home team’s energetic, physical game always ran the risk of allowing the USA a power play a chance.
And when that PP came in the 29th minute, the Americans got the tying goal. Edwards’ delicious snipe from the left-hand dot quelled the decibels in the arena to the point that the cheers from U.S. bench were clearly audible around the building.
Rather than talk about the goal, Edwards preferred to talk about drawing the penalty in the first place. “We had a good power play going, but before that, Abbey [Murphy] did a good job moving her feet to draw that penalty,” she said. “Those are little plays I don’t think get enough credit. Then we’re buzzing on the power play, and I’m like, ‘I gotta shoot this.’ And then it goes in.
The goal would have deflated many teams, but the Czechs came through that test of character. A huge stick save from Peslarova denied Eden the go-ahead goal and reinvigorated the crowd. And there was more encouragement for the host when a three-on-two rush saw Tereza Vanisova get it to the slot where Frankel stayed big to thwart Denisa Krizova from close range.
But the dream was starting to fade. In the third period the Czechs struggled to maintain their earlier pace and physicality. The margins were tight, but where once players would snap into blocks and sprint after pucks there was now a split-second delay.
Tired minds, tired bodies ... and a tired clearance in the 49th minute opened the door for the Americans. Eden took advantage, sending Pannek behind the net before her wraparound attempt came back for the Minnesota forward to claim her fourth – and most important – goal of the championship.
“We knew if we could get pucks to the net and drive and create chaos, [it would be good],” Pannek said. “I don’t usually attempt many wraparounds, but I felt like I saw the goalie kind of overcommit a bit on the strong side, and I tried to get the puck in. Then the puck was laying there again and I gave it a good second attempt and it had a good bounce and went in.”
Czechia still wasn’t quite done. Katerina Mrazova generated another scare when she evaded Haley Winn’s lunging poke check to test Frankel once more.
By now, though, it was a case of individual opportunism rather than considered counterattacking play. The Czechs never gave up but the Americans were able to close out the game and advance to yet another gold-medal game. The home team returns tomorrow looking to claim bronze once more.
“It hurts for the girls,” said Czechia’s head coach Carla McLeod. “We played an incredible game. We didn’t back down, we were highly physical in our own zone, and we kept ourselves in the contest.
“It’s a heartbreaker that way but it’s another step in our journey of trying to get to the level that we know we want to be at. Today we showed ourselves that we can get there.”
But if the final outcome was expected, the game was anything but routine. Czechia fought like Lionesses, hassling and harrying the Americans at every turn. A huge defensive effort, with total buy-in from every player, was augmented by courage on the counterattack to pose a huge test for the USA. Having previously lost 1-7 and 1-9 in World Championship semi-finals, here the Czechs played with an empty net in search of a tying goal.
And USA head coach John Wroblewski was impressed by what he saw from both teams. “I thought it was just an amazing showing by the Czech players,” he said. “Every loose puck meant the world to them, every blocked shot meant everything to them. I’ve just got so much respect for the ways the Czechs played and, with that, I’ve got so much respect for the way that our team got the victory. That was a really tough game to play.”
Another capacity crowd in Arena Ceske Budejovice greeted the teams with a cauldron of noise at the start of Czechia’s semi-final against the USA. They travelled from right across the nation – from Opava on the Polish border to Pardubice in the heart of the country. All eyes were on South Bohemia.
If it was mission of hope more than expectation against an American team that has never lost a Women’s World Championship semi-final, it would be hard to find a Czech fan who didn’t believe in a modern-day miracle on ice.
The Americans, of course, have been here before. High-stakes games are in the DNA of a team that expects the highest of standards. Yet, with the crowd going crazy for every blocked shot and greeting each clearance with the enthusiasm of a goal, there were signs that the USA was unsettled in the first period.
Early on, the first significant attacking foray from the host nation saw Cayla Barnes react angrily Adela Sapovalilova after first significant Czech foray. Then Czechia got the first power play of the game when Hayley Scamurra sat for holding. The PP came to little, but it was a reminder that a fired-up Czech team was not here to make up the numbers.
Goalie Klara Peslarova was kept predictably busy by the American offence, making 13 saves in the first period and standing firm when Hilary Knight and Edwards threatened on the power play.
And the Czech goalie picked up the plaudits from U.S. goalscorer Pannek. “She played phenomenal,” Pannek said. “In this tournament, great goaltending is kind of expected. She definitely was huge for their team, and I think their team rallied around it. It makes it frustrating right when you’re getting great looks and great chances and can’t find the back of the net maybe as early in the game as we would have liked. She played a great game, and we’re glad we were able to get a few by her.”
Meanwhile, the home heroes created chances of their own. Michaela Pejzlova saw a shot padded away after a two-on-two rush, Kristyna Kaltounkova had a big chance in front after Sapovalilova took the puck from Scamurra.
And in the 16th minute the noise hit a new level when Czechia took a sensational lead. Klara Hymlarova’s persistence got the puck from Savannah Harmon behind the U.S. net. In front, Plosova took an age to bring it under control and the chance seemed to be gone – until she found the perfect finish as Lacey Eden’s desperate slide arrived too late to make the block.
“[Hymlarova] did a really good forecheck and then she passed to me,” said the goalscorer. “I just shot on the net and it went in. That was incredible.”
That was only the second time the Czechs had ever led the USA in World Championship play. The previous occasion lasted just 3:05 in a 2-6 loss in 2023; this lead held until midway through the second period.
There was no panic in the American play despite trailing. The pressure steadily built up on the Czech net and the home team’s energetic, physical game always ran the risk of allowing the USA a power play a chance.
And when that PP came in the 29th minute, the Americans got the tying goal. Edwards’ delicious snipe from the left-hand dot quelled the decibels in the arena to the point that the cheers from U.S. bench were clearly audible around the building.
Rather than talk about the goal, Edwards preferred to talk about drawing the penalty in the first place. “We had a good power play going, but before that, Abbey [Murphy] did a good job moving her feet to draw that penalty,” she said. “Those are little plays I don’t think get enough credit. Then we’re buzzing on the power play, and I’m like, ‘I gotta shoot this.’ And then it goes in.
The goal would have deflated many teams, but the Czechs came through that test of character. A huge stick save from Peslarova denied Eden the go-ahead goal and reinvigorated the crowd. And there was more encouragement for the host when a three-on-two rush saw Tereza Vanisova get it to the slot where Frankel stayed big to thwart Denisa Krizova from close range.
But the dream was starting to fade. In the third period the Czechs struggled to maintain their earlier pace and physicality. The margins were tight, but where once players would snap into blocks and sprint after pucks there was now a split-second delay.
Tired minds, tired bodies ... and a tired clearance in the 49th minute opened the door for the Americans. Eden took advantage, sending Pannek behind the net before her wraparound attempt came back for the Minnesota forward to claim her fourth – and most important – goal of the championship.
“We knew if we could get pucks to the net and drive and create chaos, [it would be good],” Pannek said. “I don’t usually attempt many wraparounds, but I felt like I saw the goalie kind of overcommit a bit on the strong side, and I tried to get the puck in. Then the puck was laying there again and I gave it a good second attempt and it had a good bounce and went in.”
Czechia still wasn’t quite done. Katerina Mrazova generated another scare when she evaded Haley Winn’s lunging poke check to test Frankel once more.
By now, though, it was a case of individual opportunism rather than considered counterattacking play. The Czechs never gave up but the Americans were able to close out the game and advance to yet another gold-medal game. The home team returns tomorrow looking to claim bronze once more.