Czechia shuts out Finland at women's world hockey championship
UTICA - Czechia made its rebounds count Wednesday, capitalizing twice on second chances to take a lead on its way to a 4-0 shutout of Finland in the countries' first ever pool play meeting at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Women's Championship.
Czechia, a relatively new competitor in the tournament, had beaten Finland in the knockout round of the previous two tournaments on the way to claiming its first medals. With both teams in Pool A at Utica's Adirondack Bank Center, they are competing in the same pool for the first time; Czechia won its first bronze medal coming out of Pool B in Denmark in 2022, and Finland's finish dropped it to Pool B in Canada last year.
Much like Wednesday's early game, the first period went scoreless. Czechia generated more chances and shots but came up empty on the scoreboard. Finnish goaltender Sanni Ahola made a spectacular recovery to keep the game scoreless early in the second when she was able to swat a puck that had gotten behind her out of the air and away from the mouth of the goal.
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Czechia outshot Finland 16-4 in the second period and its first two goals came on second chances. Adela Sapolivova got the scoring started on a rebound. Natalie Mlynkova fired a shot going in on the left that was stopped by Ahola, the puck caromed across the front of the goal and the 17-year-old Sapolivova slapped it into the net before Ahola could cover it up.Nine minutes later, Klara Hymlarova got a second chance off her own initial shot and put Czechia up 2-0. Her initial shot was similar to Mlynkova's, but the puck ricocheted back to her path and after a tap forward with her skate, Hymlarova scored unassisted.The score remained 2-0 late into the third period when Finland pulled Ahola for another skater. Mlynkova and Tereza Ploskova, another teen, tallied empty net goals 50 seconds apart. Tereza Radova assisted on the Mlynkova goal.
Ahola made 29 saves for Finland, which was outshot 33-21. Klara Peslarova earned the shutout with 19 saves for Czechia. Peslarova is playing in the World Championship for the sixth time and was voted to the media's all-star team at the 2022 tournament where she posted two shutouts.
Czechia defeated Finland 2-1 in overtime in the 2022 knockout round and won by the same score in rgulation last year.
Czechia takes on the United States next in Friday's nightcap. Finland plays the Thursday late game against Canada.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Czechia posts shutout at women's world hockey championship in Utica
