Team Canada defeats host Czechia at women’s world hockey championship

Team Canada took down the host Team Czechia 7-1 on Monday at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, taking place in Ceske Budejovice. The Canadians bounced back after a tough 2-1 loss against their longtime rival Team USA on Sunday.

The Czech team has a special connection to Team Canada, as Czech head coach Carla MacLeod is a two-time Olympic gold medallist with Team Canada at Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010. And Czechia has certainly demonstrated its love of hockey as a nation—the tournament is already the highest attended women’s world championship to take place outside of North America.

READ: Team Canada edged by USA at women’s world hockey championship

Canada struck within the first five minutes of play with a goal from captain Marie-Philip Poulin. Captain Clutch has earned a point in every single game the Canadians have played thus far in the tournament, as she centres Canada’s unstoppable first line. Jocelyne Larocque and Erin Ambrose took the assists. The game marked Ambrose’s 100th career appearance with the national team.

But the Czechs responded quickly with a goal from Adela Sapovalivova that got past Canadian goaltender Kristen Campbell.

The first period of play closed out 1-1, with shots 15-6 in favour of Team Canada.

In period two, it was Captain Clutch on the scoresheet again. Poulin was assisted by Laura Stacey and Larocque.

The period closed out with Team Canada holding onto a one-goal lead, with shots 20-8 for Canada.

It was the third period where things really got going for the Canadians.

Third period action saw Daryl Watts score a top cheese power play goal, assisted by Ambrose and Claire Thompson, after Team Czechia was penalized for too many players on the ice. A mere 22 seconds later, Kristin O’Neill made the most of a scrum in front of the Czech net to score her first goal of the tournament, assisted by Julia Gosling and Emily Clark. Seconds later, in an absolute whirlwind of action, Jennifer Gardiner also slipped one past Czech goaltender Klara Peslarova.

That was the end of the game for Peslarova, as Team Czechia made a goaltending switch after allowing three goals in less than a minute, with Michaela Hesova taking over the Czech net.

The three-goal scoring streak brought the temperatures on an already very physical game even higher, with some pushing and shoving around the net sending Poulin and Kristya Kaltounkova to the box for roughing.

The Czech goaltending switch up wasn’t enough to stop the Canadian momentum, with O’Neill snagging her second of the game, this time getting one past Hesova, assisted by Emma Maltais and Danielle Serdachny.

READ: “The opportunity is a privilege”: Emma Maltais on playing for Team Canada and the impact of the PWHL

Sophie Jacques was the next to strike, scoring her first world championship goal. Jacques was assisted by Sarah Nurse and Renata Fast. That would be the last goal for Team Canada, who closed things out with a 7-1 win, outshooting Czechia 27-13.

The Czech fans were relentless in their support for the home team, shaking the ground at Budvar Arena as they jumped up and down and chanted their team through to the end of the game.

Team Canada took five penalties throughout the game, while Czechia took four. Renata Fast was awarded player of the game for Team Canada.

The win marks the end of preliminary play for the Canadians as they seek to defend Team Canada’s title as world champion.