photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Tim Austen
Team Canada is still on schedule as they beat Czechia in the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship quarterfinal, 3-2, and advance to the semifinal.
But it wasn’t easy.
Renata Fast scored the game winner from the point lates in the second period. Sarah Fillier and Rebecca Leslie also scored for Canada. Kristyna Kaltounkova got both Czech goals and Klara Peslarova made 38 saves in Czechia’s goal.
"From the start, we wanted to set the standard of being physical, going hard on them, going to the net, but also being strong in our zone, and I think we did that well. I'm very proud of my team," Kaltounkova said.
“If I look back at the games we've played against Czechia in the last few years, that’s been their game plan and we knew it would be a physical game," Fast said.
Canada and Czechia had faced off every year since 2023. In those four IIHF Women’s World Championship games through 2026, Czechia had scored only two goals. Canada? Twenty-one.
However, in 2026, Canada scored only 26 goals in the preliminary round — 19 against Japan and Denmark, the two lowest-ranked teams in the group — and their scoring efficiency was fourth-best in the tournament.
And there was the opening for Czechia. After all, they had Peslarova, the 2025 tournament All-Star goalie.
The first period belonged to Canada. They had 27 shot attempts, but 12 of them were blocked by Czechia’s defenders. Czechia, on the other hand, had nine shot attempts, four of them on goal.
“I think we did a good job five-on-five, we had a lot of attempts on net, a lot of shots on net, but they played desperate and blocked a lot of shots. We have a lot of respect for Czechia, they played a great game,” Team Canada defender Erin Ambrose said.
Czechia managed to stick to their game plan of defending the middle of the ice. Canada’s forwards had trouble getting into the really dangerous areas of the ice, and the first period was scoreless.
But just 1:29 into the second period, Canada took the lead. Jessie Eldridge fired, and Rosalie Tremblay backhanded the rebound into Peslarova’s pads. A Czechia defender grabbed the rebound, but before she could clear it, Sarah Fillier was right there to slam the puck into the net.
A couple of shifts later, Canada went on the power play. Leslie carried the puck into Czechia’s zone and found plenty of ice to operate in. She fired a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Peslarova top shelf to double Canada’s lead at 4:12. Chloe Primerano was credited with an assist.
But Czechia got back into the game on the power play.
Kaltounkova won a puck battle in the corner, sending Kristin O’Neill flying to the ice, which opened up a lane for Klara Hymlarova. She fired, and Gascon made a save. Noemi Neubauerova fired, and Gascon made a save while sitting down, with several teammates also ready to block shots. But Kaltounkova fired it upstairs from the doorstep with 8:59 remaining in the second period to bring Czechia within one.
Emotions flared up on both sides, and several penalties were called in the last six minutes of the second period.
Czechia didn’t score on their power-play opportunity. Instead, Canada made it a two-goal game again.
Czechia was handed a boarding minor, and as play continued at even strength, Renata Fast’s point shot somehow found its way through a good Canadian screen in front of the net and through Peslarova’s five-hole to make it 3-1 at 6:47.
"I didn’t think it'd be the game-winner, I thought we'd keep it at 3-1 or score more goals but I’m happy that it found its way to the back of the net," Fast said.
Team Canada took another penalty early in the third period, opening the door for Czechia to sneak back into the game, and they skated right through it. Kaltounkova made it 3-2 off a rebound from the same exact spot as her first goal at 5:57.
Just as Czechia was about to pull the goalie, Kaltounkova received an elbowing minor, and their chase was cut short with 1:23 remaining in the game.
"It's a testament to our team's strength that we're knocking on that door to beat the North American team," Kaltounkova said.
But it wasn’t easy.
Renata Fast scored the game winner from the point lates in the second period. Sarah Fillier and Rebecca Leslie also scored for Canada. Kristyna Kaltounkova got both Czech goals and Klara Peslarova made 38 saves in Czechia’s goal.
"From the start, we wanted to set the standard of being physical, going hard on them, going to the net, but also being strong in our zone, and I think we did that well. I'm very proud of my team," Kaltounkova said.
“If I look back at the games we've played against Czechia in the last few years, that’s been their game plan and we knew it would be a physical game," Fast said.
Canada and Czechia had faced off every year since 2023. In those four IIHF Women’s World Championship games through 2026, Czechia had scored only two goals. Canada? Twenty-one.
However, in 2026, Canada scored only 26 goals in the preliminary round — 19 against Japan and Denmark, the two lowest-ranked teams in the group — and their scoring efficiency was fourth-best in the tournament.
And there was the opening for Czechia. After all, they had Peslarova, the 2025 tournament All-Star goalie.
The first period belonged to Canada. They had 27 shot attempts, but 12 of them were blocked by Czechia’s defenders. Czechia, on the other hand, had nine shot attempts, four of them on goal.
“I think we did a good job five-on-five, we had a lot of attempts on net, a lot of shots on net, but they played desperate and blocked a lot of shots. We have a lot of respect for Czechia, they played a great game,” Team Canada defender Erin Ambrose said.
Czechia managed to stick to their game plan of defending the middle of the ice. Canada’s forwards had trouble getting into the really dangerous areas of the ice, and the first period was scoreless.
But just 1:29 into the second period, Canada took the lead. Jessie Eldridge fired, and Rosalie Tremblay backhanded the rebound into Peslarova’s pads. A Czechia defender grabbed the rebound, but before she could clear it, Sarah Fillier was right there to slam the puck into the net.
A couple of shifts later, Canada went on the power play. Leslie carried the puck into Czechia’s zone and found plenty of ice to operate in. She fired a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Peslarova top shelf to double Canada’s lead at 4:12. Chloe Primerano was credited with an assist.
But Czechia got back into the game on the power play.
Kaltounkova won a puck battle in the corner, sending Kristin O’Neill flying to the ice, which opened up a lane for Klara Hymlarova. She fired, and Gascon made a save. Noemi Neubauerova fired, and Gascon made a save while sitting down, with several teammates also ready to block shots. But Kaltounkova fired it upstairs from the doorstep with 8:59 remaining in the second period to bring Czechia within one.
Emotions flared up on both sides, and several penalties were called in the last six minutes of the second period.
Czechia didn’t score on their power-play opportunity. Instead, Canada made it a two-goal game again.
Czechia was handed a boarding minor, and as play continued at even strength, Renata Fast’s point shot somehow found its way through a good Canadian screen in front of the net and through Peslarova’s five-hole to make it 3-1 at 6:47.
"I didn’t think it'd be the game-winner, I thought we'd keep it at 3-1 or score more goals but I’m happy that it found its way to the back of the net," Fast said.
Team Canada took another penalty early in the third period, opening the door for Czechia to sneak back into the game, and they skated right through it. Kaltounkova made it 3-2 off a rebound from the same exact spot as her first goal at 5:57.
Just as Czechia was about to pull the goalie, Kaltounkova received an elbowing minor, and their chase was cut short with 1:23 remaining in the game.
"It's a testament to our team's strength that we're knocking on that door to beat the North American team," Kaltounkova said.
Quarter-finals #1: Canada vs Czechia - 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship
OF