Ema Tothova, 16, is the youngest member of Slovakia's senior national women's hockey team, and she'll be counted on as a cornerstone of their future success.
Ema Tothova, 16, is the youngest member of Slovakia's senior national women's hockey team, and she'll be counted on as a cornerstone of their future success.
While Nela Lopusanova gets the headlines, she won't be the only player pushing Slovakia to a bigger stage in international women's hockey. 16-year-old Ema Tothova will be a key component to Slovakia's future, and she's the youngest player competing for the Slovak's at the 2023 IIHF Division 1A World Championships.
The five-foot-ten forward has already represented Slovakia at two U-18 World Championships, and will be eligible to compete at two more, but this will be her first international competition with Slovakia's senior national team.
Last season, Tothova had six points in five games for Slovakia at the World Championship, played in the EWHL with SKP Bratislava against professional and college experienced players scoring 13 points in 18 games, and also played U-18 men's hockey in Slovakia.
The competition against men and veteran women's players is evident in Tothova's physical play and positioning, but her hands and skating also set her apart.
For Slovakia, who will get to add the 2008 born Nela Lopusanova to join the 2007 born Tothova next year, it's another step in building a burgeoning women's hockey nation. In total, Slovakia is bringing eight teenagers to the Division IA World Championships, a group that will form the core of the nation's roster moving forward, and who will look to bring Slovakia on par with neighboring Czechia who after earning promotion from Division 1A in 2015, are now the back-to-back bronze medalists in the top division of competition.
Among those teenagers are U-18 captain Zuzana Dobiasova who had five goals in five games for Slovakia at the 2022 U-18 World Championships, Hana Fancovicova (19) and Lily Stern (18) who both played at Ontario Hockey Academy last year in Canada, Tatiana Blichoba (17), Laura Jancsoova (17), Barbora Kapičáková (19), and Livia Debnarova (17).