SURPRISING CZECHS TAKE BRONZE MEDAL WITH UPSET OF SWEDEN

by Heather McIntyre

The first Under-18 women’s hockey team to emerge from the Czech Republic is the third best team in the world after topping Sweden 4-2 in the 2008 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship bronze medal game on Saturday night.

After a slow start that saw only nine shots fired in the first 20 minutes, Czech forward Alena Polenska put her team on the board 5:26 into the second period when she fired a shot just inside the far post on a powerplay pass from linemate Lucie Povova.

In a period that saw action at both ends, Swedish goaltender Hanna Emanuelsson robbed Lucie Manhartova with a left pad save to keep the score 1-0, the Czechs best chance of the period, while the Swedes’ best chance to tie the game up came off of Anna Borgqvist’s shot from between the circles, narrowly missing the far post.

The score remained 1-0 heading into the intermission, though, with Sweden edging the Czechs in shots, 15-14.

The Swedes finally pulled even early in the third period as Klara Myrén beat Emanuelsson shorthanded at the 2:05 mark, and took the lead when Isabelle Jordansson beat Czech goaltender Katerina Becevova

Sweden’s lead didn’t last long, however, as Manhartova snatched a loose puck at the top of the circle, her shot deflecting off a Swedish defenseman and in at 9:38. She tallied her second of the frame seven minutes later, netting a rebound to give the Czechs a 3-2 lead.

The Swedes’ opportunity to pull even suffered a blow with a minute-and-a-half remaining, as defenseman Emma Holmbom was sent off for hooking. Emanuelsson took a spot on the bench as the Swedes tried valiantly to equalize at five-on-five.

But it would be the Czechs who would find the back of the net, as Polenska’s shot from her own side of centre sealed the bronze with just 15 seconds to go, setting off a raucous celebration on the Czech bench, and in the stands at Father David Bauer Arena.

Time ran out on Sweden and the Czechs mobbed Becevova, many of them in tears, to celebrate the country’s first medal ever at an IIHF women’s world championship.

Borgqvist was named Player of the Game for Sweden, while and Czech defenceman Nikola Horalkova was honoured for the Czech Republic.