IIHF Women’s Worlds Day Two: Practice Notes & Czechia–Switzerland Quarterfinal Preview
Our second day in České Budějovice began with a sense of calm—quaint cafés bustling with morning chatter, spring sun glinting off the Vltava, and the slow trickle of national team players making their way toward Budvar Arena for final practices ahead of Thursday’s quarterfinals.
For Team Czechia, Wednesday afternoon’s skate was more than a tune-up. It was a quiet moment before the storm. The stakes are clear: a win over Switzerland guarantees a medal-round appearance on home ice and a shot at further solidifying the Czech women’s program among the world’s elite.
Their opponent, Switzerland, is a familiar one. These teams know each other well. And while Czechia won their group-stage clash 3–0, they’ll be facing a side that is far from predictable—one capable of upsetting the rhythm and pushing games into uncomfortable territory. This isn’t a matchup they’ll take lightly.
Head coach Carla MacLeod acknowledged both the excitement and the pressure in a conversation at the IIHF fan zone: Wednesday afternoon:
“The girls are excited. They have a chance to play in the quarterfinals at a World Championship! The Swiss will be a tough opponent, but our team is really excited about playing at home. Sure, there is nervousness, but that’s part of it. That’s why the girls have worked hard all their lives.”
The atmosphere during practice was telling. Loose and creative at times, smiles, quiet laughs, and fluid puck movement but also focused and reflective. A missed rebound here, a bobbled pass there, reminders that this is a young team still growing into its success, still adjusting to the weight of home-ice expectations.
Still, the flashes of brilliance were unmistakable. Natálie Mlýnková glided with signature grace, her hockey IQ evident in every drill. Andrea Trnková ripped pucks top-shelf in drills, while Kateřina Mrázová wove through defenders with deceptive ease. And Klára Peslarová? Calm, dialed-in, exuding that chaotic-neutral energy elite goalies tap into during high-stakes moments.
As the session wrapped, one theme stood out: this is a team on the rise, learning to carry the weight of ambition. They’ve earned their place in this tournament’s upper echelon, but now comes the hard part: staying there.
If Czechia can weather the nerves, assert their tempo early, and dictate play from the opening puck drop—like they have all tournament—then a second win over Switzerland wouldn’t come as a surprise. But it will take poise, pressure, and perhaps most importantly, belief.
We’ll be watching tomorrow with hopeful hearts, buzzing with anticipation. This team has already shown what they’re capable of—but there’s still so much more left to prove.
