Canada beats Czechia 3-2 to reach women's world hockey semifinals

Canada defeated Czechia 3-2 in the women's world hockey championship quarterfinals Friday in Herning, advancing to the semifinals.

Game details

Renata Fast’s second-period goal stood as the winner. Sarah Fillier and Rebecca Leslie also scored for Canada. Ève Gascon made 14 saves at KVIK Hockey Arena.

Kristyna Kaltounkova scored two goals for Czechia, while Noemi Neubauerov tallied two assists. Klara Peslarova stopped 38 shots in the Czech net.

Canada went undefeated in four games with a plus-25 goal differential in pool play.

Scoring sequence

After a goalless first period, Canada struck twice early in the second. Fillier scored 1:29 into the period when she pounced on a loose puck in front of the net, then Leslie ripped a wrist shot past Peslarova on the power play at 4:12.

Kaltounkova scored on a net-front scramble to cut the deficit at 11:01, but Fast restored Canada’s two-goal lead with a point shot at four-on-four play before the period finished.

Kaltounkova beat Gascon off a rebound five minutes into the third period for her second of the game. The 24-year-old later took an elbowing penalty, putting Canada on the power play with 83 seconds remaining.

What's next

Canada will face Finland in Sunday’s semifinals. The Finns, who fell 2-0 to Canada in Group B action, blanked Germany 6-0 on Friday.

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Sources

• ctvnews.ca: Women’s world hockey championship: Canada in semifinals
• iihf.com: IIHF - Quarter-final pairings set

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