A recap of the action from January 15, 2025, day five of the IIHF U18 Women's World Championship in Sydney and Membertou, Nova Scotia.
Sweden 7, Slovakia 2
Despite holding possession for most of the first period, Sweden struggled to break through. The Slovak defense and goalie Marinana Sumegova had them stifled and that seemed to rattle Sweden a bit. They were jumpy and a little reactive. The longer the first period went on, the more you could see the nerves getting to them. But they also held the zone and moved the puck around trying to figure things out.
Late in the first, they forced a turnover and headed out in transition. As they were working out of the defensive zone Slovakian player stuck out her stick to deflect a stretch pass. Unfortunately for her, it popped up and out to Nellie Norén and set her loose on a breakaway down the boards that she buried.
Finally breaking through seemed to settle Sweden, who looked more composed in the second and more assured of their place in the game. Their passes were crisper and they played with a bit more purpose. Defender Svea Nordqvist scored a few minutes into the frame on a shot from the point that made it through traffic. The teams traded penalties and while four-on-four Tilia Lindgren found a rebound on her stick and she put it back to make it 3-0. A little more than a minute later while Sweden had the player advantage, Moa Stridh took off on a breakaway, beating Sumegova five-hold to make it a 4-0 game.
Lopušanová scored the goal to tie the tournament record another minute later, taking a pass and cutting it to the high slot before wristing the puck to the far post to get her team on the board and make it a 4-1 game. She nearly became the sole record-holder on a cheeky throwback as she tried a Michigan-style goal, lifting the puck up and around from behind the net, but Sweden read the play and blocked the attempt.
In the third, Tilde Grillfors extended the lead before Lenka Karkošková pulled one more back for Slovakia. That looked like it might be the point Nela needed as she started the play with a pass off the boards in the corner to the point, but there were a few too many touches between her and the goal. Tilia Lindgren extended Sweden's lead to 6-2 with about eight minutes left and at that point, it seemed like Slovakia's focus shifted to Lopušanová breaking the scoring record. In the final minutes she was double shifting and every teammate was trying to put the puck on her stick. In the final two minutes, they pulled their goalie during a power play and took a timeout to allow Nela to rest, but Sweden was still able to overpower them as Inez Nygren scored a short-handed empty netter and time ran out on Nela's quest.
She was named one of her team's best players of the tournament alongside linmates Vanessa Mikulasikova and Alica Juríková.
Lenka Karkošková was Slovakia's best player of the game while Svea Nordqvist earned the honors for Sweden.
Next up: Semifinal - Sweden will face the US in the semifinals. The two teams met in last year's semifinals with the US taking a 2-1 win.
What We Learned:
- Sweden in waiting – The game against Canada got away from the Swedes, but they've been pretty dominant in each of their other games. They aren't going to be an easy team to beat in the semifinals. They've sort of quietly put together a really solid tournament and look as good as I've seen them in recent years. They've got all the pieces, they just have to limit their mistakes.
- Record-tying Nela – With her goal in the second period Nela Lopušanová tied Kendall Coyne-Schofield for most overall points (33) and most goals (22) by one person at the U18 Women's World Championships. With the game well out of hand in the final minutes of the game, her team tried their darnedest to get Nela another point, pulling the goalie, taking a timeout so she could rest and be on the ice and feeding her the puck. Sweden stood strong, but it was really sweet to see that this meant just as much to the rest of the team and they wanted it for their captain. Somewhat ironically, Nela helped her team to a sixth place finish, keeping them from having to play in the relegation game barring a very surprise upset in the later games. If they'd done worse, she'd likely have one more game to play and she'd likely have taken the record all for herself.
Standout Performances:
- Sweden F Matilda Österman – Slovakia kept trying to push back but the strong forecheck from Sweden kept them from ever really getting established in the zone. Österman used her size to stop any fast breaks, wasn't afraid to shoot and did a good job in the faceoff circle.
- Slovakia F Lenka Karkošková – Not only was she the second goal-scorer, but she matched Nela with three shots on goal. She did not stop despite consistently running pretty solidly into the Swedish defense over and over. She felt like one of the few players who wasn't always just trying to put the puck on Nela's stick by default.
Quotable:
"The start was a bit nervous but the second period we came out better and more relaxed and played together more. The changes were better. They were quicker." - Sweden coach Andreas Karlsson
"We talked a lot about moving the puck quickly and playing physically. Not trying to do highlight things, but get the puck to the net." - Karlsson
"It doesn't happened what happened last game or here or last year. Now it's a new game." - Karlsson
"I think we played really well as a team and didn't try anything as individuals. I'm really happy with how we played. We knew their No. 12 was good, but we focused on how we wanted to play. The group is coming together a bit better every day. We believe in ourselves." Sweden F Svea Nordqvist
"I think we played together and not alone." - Nordqvist
"The only way we could win this game was to work hard. I think we started well, but they had a late goal at the end of the first period. We tried, but it wasn't enough this time. They gave it everything they had." - Slovakia coach Michal Kobezda
"It was a great journey for her. I think she was the most important player for us. She was a great captain. She was a great teammate." - Kobezda on what he remembers about Lopušanová's four years with the U18 team
"I was thinking about it before the game. I started with a Michigan my first year, so I wanted to end the same way. I had a chance, which was pretty cool, but it didn't go in. I'm really happy I tried it." - Slovakia F Nela Lopušanová
"They were really good. We knew it. We wanted to win, but it wasn't enough. But for the next generation. We can beat even the bigger countries like Finland. We're really grateful to not play in the relegation game. This was a big opportunity" - Lopušanová
"I was really grateful and happy. Kendall is awesome, so I'm happy to tie with her." - Lopušanová
"I kind of saw it coming and I tried to stop it." Sweden D Ebba Westerlind on Lopušanová's Michigan attempt
Czechia 2, Switzerland 1
This was certainly a closer game than I think either team believed it would be. But Swiss goalie Norina Schrupkowski said that her team had nothing to lose. They scored first, which only added to their confidence and then they were able to play a strong and solid defence. They weren't afraid to get block shots and they fully believed in Schrupskowski behind them.
Czechia started a little too slow and casual. Switzerland had scored just two goals all tournament and both came against Hungary on Tuesday. It appears Czechia might have been looking past this game and Switzerland took advantage.
The teams traded chances early and Czechia seemed particularly snake bit, with two different opportunities with the puck loose in the crease they were able to put in the back of the net.
Jil Baker put Switzerland up 1-0 with about seven to play in the first with a laser shot from the top of the circle.
In the waning minutes of the period Tereza Gildainová's shot hit the crossbar and though it never looked close to going into the goal, the goal horn went off. The officials immediately indicated no goal and the replays validated that she'd hit the crossbar, nothing more. The teams went to the locker rooms with the Swiss leading 1-0 and Czechia holding a 10-5 shot advantage.
The teams continued to trade chances in the second. Czechia controlled possession, but struggled to put shots on the goal frame or close out close chances until Joanna Tischler's shot from the high slot beat Schrupkowski through traffic to tie the game 1-1.
The shot disparity continued to grow, but as the third period ticked down and neither team seemed like they could find the equalizer, overtime seemed inevitable. Baker had a chance to take the lead, but was stopped. Adéla Pánková got in on the Swiss net, but was denied.
With under two minutes to play, Schrupkowski made the initial save on a shot but wasn't able to hold on to the puck. A mess of players in front of the net slapped at the loose puck and it came out just past the crease to Gildainová, who lifted it with her backhand to clear the bodies and find twine.
It was a heart-breaking moment for Switzerland, who'd played their best game and were on the verge of overtime in the quarterfinals.
Czechia coach Dušan Andrašovský said he felt like his team needed divine intervention to have come through with the win. He knows they were lucky to escape.
Next up: Czechia will face Canada in the semifinal. They've played each other in each of the last two U18 World Championships. Czechia won the 2024 matchup 4-2. Canada took the victory last year by the same score.
What We Learned:
- Freedom from expectations – For most of the tournament Switzerland has played a bit like they weren't sure they should be here. They were timid and unsure and it showed on the ice. One of the reason's they were able to play so well on Thursday is that they felt like they had nothing to lose. They'd won their final group round game over Hungary. They're likely to avoid the relegation game. This was their last time on this ice and they went for it. And they played with a fierceness and freedom that hadn't had all tournament. I think I say it every year, but there's always a game in the final three days that ends someone's tournament that makes me wish the team had a couple more games to play. I want to see this Switzerland play more and it's a shame we don't get to.
- Fine line for rest and recovery – Wednesday was a full off day for all the teams as the tournament shifted to a new arena for the elimination round and Andrašovský joked his team would definitely be skating on Friday, another full off day. The teams took a rest and recover approach and instead of keeping the Czechs fresh, it made their legs heavy and their play sluggish.
Standout Performances:
- Switzerland G Norina Schrupkowski – She's just so clearly the heart and soul of this team and she played out of her mind again, making 40 saves and keeping her team in this game until the very end. She's loud and supportive and really showed both a mental and physical game beyond her 16 years. She said she hopes to come to North America after she finishes secondary school in Switzerland I'll be very disappointed if someone doesn't recruit her. We all deserve more Norina in our lives.
- Czechia D Věra Šťástková – Not only did I note her a number of times for breaking up plays and blocking the puck, but she added four shots from the blue line.
Quotable:
"I told [Gildainová] after the first period, you are the scorer of the game. And she did it, which is nice. She's playing in her third world championship of the U18 tournament, and we need these experienced girls. They need to give it on the ice." - Czechia coach Dušan Andrašovský
"Third time in a row (playing for a medal) which is nice for our small country. It's good. The young girls are watching games and they they are coming to play hockey. They love it and love the game. I think we did good job, good advertising for women's hockey." - Andrašovský
"I saw our faces around me and we need to elevate our players. We need to push them a lot, but it was a very tough game for us. One of the worst that I remember in my career here." - Andrašovský
"We tried to do everything, but the legs don't work. Then you lose your confidence, you lose your focus on important things. We had no patience.
Give [Switzerland] credit. They blocked all the shots. They fought maybe more than we did. We are very happy that we won because it was very hard. Switzerland played a great game today. They fought a lot. It was very hard to play against them." - Andrašovský
"But it's about mentality and what you tihnk about the game. You have to always be ready for these games. If you underestimate the opponent it's never good." - Andrašovský
"To be honest, I went for my last shift. There was two minutes left, and I was like, 'We have to score now, or that's gonna be end of the game.' I was kind of high, and I saw the puck, so I just shot it. It went in, so I was happy!" - Czechia F Tereza Gildainová
"We had a good game plan, and we prepared very well. It was going how we wanted, but we needed a lot of patience also. That's not easy at this age, but they handled that brilliantly. It's tough when you lose the game in the last two minutes. They can learn, now, a lot, but at the moment, it's pretty hard." - Switzerland coach Melanie Häfliger
"Our goalies are too good in practice." - Häfliger joking on why her team struggled with scoring in this game
"It was a mental thing. We wanted to keep the pressure away from the girls. They have to play easy and have fun. It's not easy to do. They think a lot at this age. We tried to keep the momentum with us and what we can control. That was the plan, believing in ourselves." - Häfliger
"Some people might have thought we'd lose this game good team like Czechia something like 10-0. Now we battled them very hard. Now the team is surprised, but I see the potential in this team. They have to see it, not the coaches." - Häfliger
"It's hurting in my heart, and I'm really sad about it. But I think I can be proud of what I did in all of the games here." - Switzerland G Norina Schrupkowski
"We knew how good the team is and that made us really strong. We had no pressure. We just played our game. I'm really proud because we didn't the strongest team this year. We didn't expect to be in a close quarterfinal." - Schrupkowski
(Photo: Nicole Haase)
