International Ice Hockey Federation

Czechs follow suit

Czechs follow suit

Easy win vs. Norway underlines Olympic ambitions

Published 09.02.2017 23:45 GMT+2 | Author Martin Merk
Czechs follow suit
Czech player Tereza Vanisova is followed by Norway's Helene Martinsen Photo: Manuel Lopez / PPR
After Switzerland’s opening win against Denmark, the Czechs follow suit with another five-goal victory against Norway in the Olympic Qualification.

The Czech women’s national team will play in the top division of the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship for the third time in a few weeks in Plymouth near Detroit, USA, but it has never qualified for the Olympic Winter Games.

It’s something they want to chance in the Final Olympic Qualification Group C in Arosa, Switzerland, and their 5-0 blanking of Norway underlines these ambitions as they moved up to Switzerland in the Day 1 standing winning their game with the same margin.

Denisa Krizova, one of the Czechs playing NCAA college hockey, scored two goals en route to the clear victory.

“We started a little nervous but then we scored the first and second goal and started playing our game like we wanted to do,” Krizova said.

It was her who opened the scoring too. Katerina Mrazova sent a nice pass to the blue line allowing Krizova to skate alone to the net of 16-year-old rookie Ena Nystrom beating the Norwegian netminder top-shelf at 4:15.

It was a period with chances on both ends but with 2:35 left the Czechs made it 2-0. Vendula Pribylova shot on a loose puck from ten metres and Michaela Pejzlova scored on the rebound.

The Norwegians had chances too such as a crossbar shot in the second period and a Line Bialik shot deflected up into the air but the Czechs were more dangerous and more efficient on the other side. After a centering pass from Alena Polenska, Aneta Ledlova made it 3-0 at 12:09 of a second period that followed a similar pattern like the afternoon game as the Czechs netted three goals in seven minutes.

At 15:35 Aneta Tejralova sent of a hard point shot during a Czech power play and Krizova was in perfect position to make it a four-goal lead. And it wasn’t enough yet. The Czechs got another power play and they converted it again when Lucie Manhartova reacted fastest on a loose puck close to the Norwegian net.

“They are a good team and we know that, we’ve played against them for a long time. We didn’t manage to come to their goal so often this time,” Norwegian forward Line Bialik said. “It’s hard to win a hockey game without scoring a goal. But we are not out of this tournament yet, we can come back.”

Switzerland and the Czech Republic are co-leading the standings with a win and a goal difference of +5. The Czechs will take on Denmark next on Saturday before a potential final with Switzerland on Sunday.

“I feel like it’s going to be the same game like against Norway like same tempo, same style of play while Switzerland will be a little better than Norway and Denmark,” Krizova said about the upcoming games.

 

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