Slovakia Close, But Still Missing Major Pieces

Slovakia is unlikely to qualify for the 2026 Olympics after an opening game loss to Hungary in Group I of the Olympic Qualification tournaments in Germany.

After taking an early lead in their game on a goal by Janka Hlinkova, Slovakia eventually fell 3-1 to Hungary, who outshot the Slovaks 38-26.

Slovakia looked close, but not close enough playing against the world's 10th ranked team in Hungary. It was the first major event facing tougher competition for Slovakia with young stars Nela Lopusanova and Ema Tothova in tow. Both had chances in their first game, but the veteran strength of Hungary showed just how far Slovakia still has to come.

In many ways, Slovakia's roster and development as a women's hockey nation is where neighboring Czechia was in 2010-11. That season, as Czechia earned promotion from the Division 2 level, the youngest player on the Czech roster was a teenage Denisa Krizova. The following season another teenager, Aneta Tejralova joined Czechia and the year after, in 2012-2013, Czechia's first season in the top division of the World Championship, which would be short lived, the team welcomed another trio of budding stars named Dominika Laskova, Aneta Vanisova, and Katerina Mrazova. 

Fast forward 15 years and Czechia will be a true medal contender for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

Slovakia on the other hand, will be on the outside looking in, and they will only have a marginally better chance to qualify in 2030 as nations with better youth and women's leagues will continue to accelerate. Slovakia, like Czechia, do not have a competitive girls league, and their women's league is one of the worst in Europe. The saving grace for Slovakia in recent years is the inclusion of HK Bratislava in the EWHL. 

Beyond Lopusanova who will join the University of Wisconsin after next season, and Ema Tothova who is headed to Ohio State, there are other young players coming. Within two years, Slovakia will have the most NCAA players competing in North America in the nation's history. Tatiana Blichova and Michaela Paulinyova will join Lindenwood next season, and netminder Livia Debnarova will join Holy Cross. Debranova may be the most important player in Slovakia's future plans as the nation does not have a goaltender competing at a high level.

Much of Slovakia's core still have several years ahead as well including 24-year-old  Lucia Haluskova, who is a shifty and skilled forward. Beyond the aforementioned players, there are some young prospects worth watching. Natalia Gero is one to watch. The 15-year-old has put up good numbers in Czechia's U-16 and second tier U-18 boys' leagues.

To say sending five players to the NCAA will help is true, but also insufficient. Slovakia needs to find ways to better fund their girls hockey development to discover more talented players and work with them earlier. The depth in the nation remains weak, and there aren't clear waves coming. Almost every other top nation has an existing core of NCAA players and more on the way. Austria, Sweden, Hungary, France, Germany, Switzerland, Czechia, Finland, and other nations all have, and will continue to have equal or more players in the NCAA. Slovakia needs more. Lilien Benakova, Mariana Sumegova, Nela Tischlerova, Gabriela Lacna and others show potential, but there is no clear impact player among them. Perhaps the biggest gap for Slovakia is their defense, where they haven't developed a notable core capable of competing against stronger, faster nations. And while Andrea Risianova has been great in net, Slovakia needs another option.