After opening with a 3-0 win over Switzerland, Czechia dropped its second game of the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship 4-0 to the USA despite being without Kateřina Mrázová, Michaela Pejzlová or starting goaltender Klára Peslarová.
“They have so much experience at the highest level,” Natálie Mlýnková said about the U.S. team. “The fact that we were able to put the effort in tonight the way we did is unbelievable to me. I’m really proud of our team.”
For years, Czech games against the U.S. and Canada tended to be one-sided affairs that went the wrong way but there’s no doubt the scores have become closer in recent years as the Czechs have climbed to the point of being a perennial medal contender.
“We are coming for them,” Mlýnková stated confidently. “Even if it doesn’t happen this year, even if it doesn’t happen in two years, it’s gonna happen eventually. We’re closing the gap and I think it’s showing.”
At 23 years of age, time is on Mlýnková’s side in the Czech team’s pursuit of the North American giants. A player she might see on the opposite side for a number of years is Abbey Murphy, her teammate from the University of Minnesota this past season, who scored twice for the USA against the Czechs on Friday.
“I played with Abbey this past year,” said Mlýnková. “She’s an amazing player. Clearly, she showed her skill tonight and she showed what she’s good at, which is scoring goals. It’s great and I wish her well – I just hope it’s not against our team next time.”
While Murphy will be the consensus number-one pick in the PWHL draft this summer if she decides to enter, Mlýnková herself is eligible to be drafted, although she wasn’t too keen to engage on that topic.
“That’s not on me to decide, which is a good thing,” she shrugged. “I’m just trying to focus on our team here right now and trying to put the best effort into helping our team and put us back on the medal stage. What happens after is not in my hands.”
After the game against the USA, the Czechs have a quick turnaround with a game against Finland coming up. The two teams have split the last four bronze medals evenly, with the Finns taking last year’s third-place game in a shootout. With their home fans behind them, the Czechs would like to use this as an opportunity to get a higher seeding than the Finns heading into the playoff round.
“We want to come out hard and prove that we’re the best team in Europe,” said Mlýnková. “It’s become a bit of a rivalry between us lately. I’m just hoping to get the W for us.”