USA defeated Czechia in a lopsided semifinal to punch their ticket to the gold medal game. Czechia will play for bronze.
USA defeated Czechia in a lopsided semifinal to punch their ticket to the gold medal game. Czechia will play for bronze.
BRAMPTON, Ontario --Hilary Knight and Amanda Kessel finished with two goals and an assist apiece as the United States cruised in its semifinal matchup with a 9-1 win over Czechia at the IIHF Women's World Championship.
Defender Carolina Harvey posted a goal and three assists. Cayla Barnes registered three assists and Aerin Frankel made 14 saves for the Americans.
The United States erupted in the second period for five goals, including three which came in a span of just under four minutes to go up 4-0.
"No slowing down, you never know what happens," Kessel said. "It's an elimination game. They're not stopping no matter what the score is. I think until it was way out of reach, then you could tell that they were a little tired. But they brought it the whole game. Credit to our team for preparing the way that we did and finishing like we did."
Knight scored her goals 95 seconds apart. Barnes found the newly minted U.S. captain breaking toward the net, where Knight shifted to her backhand and flipped it over Czechia's Blanka Skodova's right pad at 4:22. Knight then tipped a shot by Harvey at 5:57 to make it 3-0.
The Americans would extend the lead at little more than two minutes later. Harvey carried the puck below the goal line to get Skodova out of position, then dished to Abby Murphy in front of an open net for an easy tap-in.
"I was initially going to shoot, but obviously it didn't work. I kind of lost it," Harvey said. "I went behind the goal line and I knew someone was going to go to the net. I knew Murphy was filling in so I just slipped it past that little seam that was there. It was good that she was there and able to tuck that in."
The tally would chase Skodova from Czechia's net. She finished with 13 saves in just over 28 minutes of play. Katerina Zechovska would finish the game and make 27 saves.
Czechia's Adela Sapovalivova made it 4-1 midway through in the second period. The 16-year-old blew past U.S. defender Rory Guilday along the right boards in the neutral zone and unleashed a quick wrist shot from the right circle to beat Frankel blocker side at 11:31.
"We had a 2-on-1 situation and I broke away with Natalie (Mylnkova)," Sapovalivova said. "I shot and it was a goal. (I had) some luck, maybe,"
But the Americans would respond late in the period on goals by Abby Roque and Kessel, who produced a highlight-reel goal by batting the puck out of mid-air for her second of the game.
"I was giving the puck to Knight to shoot because nobody's a better goal scorer than her. If I can put it on her stick, she's going to bury this," Kessel said. "But I guess I got a little lucky on that one."
Kessel opened the scoring 11:30 into the first period.
Tessa Janecke scored twice in the third period.
Despite the score, Czechia coach Carla McLeod said the effort showed progress in Czechia's growth. Before the Czechs won bronze at last year's championship, the nation had never finished better than sixth in the top division.
"It's our second time ever playing in the semifinal -- ever -- and you can't lose sight of where we're at in our growth process," Czechia coach Carla McLeod said. "At the end of the day that opportunity, that game makes us better and makes us hungry. You take it as part of the process, so I thought it was a great game."
The United States advances to play the winner of Canada-Switzerland in the gold-medal game on Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET). It will be their 24th appearance in the final, and the Americans are looking for their first gold medal since 2019.
Czechia, meanwhile, moves on to defend its bronze medal Sunday at 3 p.m.
"I definitely think it's going to be hard for a second time," Czechia captain Alena Mills said. "I think in Denmark, we surprised everybody. Now everybody knows how good we are so they are going to be ready for us."