Natalie Mlynková and her goal celebrations with the Czech ice hockey players Source: SITA/AP/Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix HERNING – The Czech ice hockey players defeated Switzerland 4:2 in the match for 3rd place at the World Championships and won a medal at the top event for the first time in history. Striker Natália Mlynková contributed two goals to today’s bronze medal in Herning, Denmark. Until now, the Czech record at the World Cup was sixth place, until this year the women’s hockey players had never been able to advance past the quarterfinals. In Denmark, however, in the fight for the semi-finals, they won in overtime against Finland, then they suffered a debacle with the highly favored USA team, but the Canadian coach Carly MacLeod’s men were able to win the final match and make history. Former Slovakian representative Dušan Andrašovský, who works as an assistant to Canadian head coach Carla MacLeod, also contributed to the Czech team’s bronze success. Photo gallery (14) Source: TASR/AP/Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix The Czechs were the better team from the start. They took the lead in the 8th minute, when Katarína Mrázová charged Mlynková in a power play, who opened the scoring with a hard shot without preparation. They equalized in the 12th minute when Michaela Pejzová was sent off. Alina Martiová beat Klára Peslarová from the right circle with the Swiss women’s first shot on goal in the match. Photo gallery (14) Source: SITA/AP/Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix However, the Czechs regained the lead in the first period. In the 16th minute, Dominika Lásková from the depth of the defensive zone sent a long pass that passed between two Swiss women to solo Daniela Pejšová. The Czech defender beat Andrea Brändliová with a forehand and scored her fifth goal in the tournament. The Czechs took another step towards winning a medal at the beginning of the second period. In the 23rd minute, Vendula Pribylová got to the puck after Noemi Neubauerová’s shot, kicked it out of the reach of the Swiss goalkeeper and calmed it to the right post. In the 30th minute, Mlynková ran between the circles and scored the second goal in the match and the sixth at the World Cup to increase the score to 4:1. Photo gallery (14) Source: SITA/AP/Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix The twenty-one-year-old attacker could have decided the duel definitively in the 52nd minute, but she was weakened and could not finish her break. Thanks to this, the Swiss managed to dramatize the match. Vallariová reduced it to 2:4 in the continuing power play. The Swiss women, who have won bronze at the World Cup only once in history, then pressed for another goal. More than two minutes before the end, they decided to take a risk without a goalkeeper, but they did not manage to reduce the score, even though their superiority was further enhanced by the exclusion of the Czech captain Millsová. In today’s final, the teams of Canada and the USA will compete from 7:30 p.m. for 3rd place: Switzerland – Czech Republic 2:4 (1:2, 0:2, 1:0)
Goals: 12. Martiová, 50. Vallariová – 8. and 40. Mlýnková, 16. Pejšová, 23. Přibylová
Photo gallery for the article Number of photos: 14 Author: © Zoznam Source: ČTK, TASR