2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey: Top standouts from Czechia vs. Switzerland
In a game that featured the underdog of Group A, Switzerland proved it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
After rallying from a two-goal deficit in the third, the Swiss upended Czechia, 4-3, in the shootout.
It looked like the Czechs had it in the bag when a disastrous turnover led to Tereza Plosova scoring her first of the Games early in the third to put her team up 3-1. However, Switzerland fought back. A beautiful tic-tac-toe play led to Alina Müller making it a one-goal game. Then, with just a couple of minutes to go in regulation, Lara Christen jammed home a rebound to level the score.
Despite the teams combining for six shots on goal in the extra frame, neither side found the winner in overtime. So, a shootout was needed to determine a victor.
Czechia came back from an early deficit, with Michaela Hesova making some big saves. However, Ivana Wey scored in the ninth round of the shootout to secure the win.
Czechia certainly looked like a team that was hungry to bounce back after a disappointing effort against the Americans on Thursday. They went right after the Swiss, with star forward Kristýna Kaltounková scoring first just minutes into the game. The teams traded goals a few minutes later, as Laura Zimmerman and Natálie Mlýnková scored for their respective teams.
Czechia ended up outshooting Switzerland, 36-31, with Hesova turning away 28 shots in her Olympic debut.
The path to third place looks tough for Czechia (0-0-2). They have a day off before an important game against Finland on Sunday. Switzerland (1-0-0) is graced with facing a rested Canadian team that has yet to play in Milan on Saturday.
Switzerland
Saskia Maurer, G
In a big win, you have to point at the person who came up clutch. Some were surprised to see Maurer in net, but it paid off. Even when Czechia was in control, the 24-year-old was calm as a cucumber. Even in overtime, when the Czechs had a number of key stops, with another four coming in the skills competition. Maurer ended the day with 37 saves.
Laura Zimmerman, F
Despite the line of Stalder, Müller and Rahel Enzler looking fun to watch, Zimmerman proved how important she is to the team. The St. Cloud State product didn’t register a point in Beijing four years ago, but her goal was crucial in keeping Switzerland in the game early on. She ended up putting three shots on goal in just 14:14 of ice time. If Switzerland wants to sneak up third, they’ll need Zimmerman to produce some more.
Czechia
Natálie Mlýnková, F
While Kaltounková was in the spotlight on Friday, Mlýnková was surely fun to watch. Just like when she plays with the Montreal Victoire, you can tell she wants to score whenever she has the puck. She showed that prowess in her go-ahead goal in the first period. In just under 19 minutes of ice time, Mlýnková finished tied with Kaltounková for the team lead with four shots on goal.
Kateřina Mrázová, F
Mrázová’s veteran presence has been important in Czechia’s success in recent years, but her playmaking ability is what has made her one of the best in the world. That was noticeable in her setup of Mlýnková’s goal, with the Ottawa Charge forward creating several opportunities throughout the game.
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