Kristýna Kaltounková | Photo: Jakub Knap
(MILAN, from our reporter) The afternoon match with Switzerland could have been the first win for the Czechs at this year’s Olympics. In the fiftieth minute, they were still leading 3:1, but in the end they succumbed after raids.
“We had the game under control for a long time, but we need to learn how to close games better,” she summed up
Natalia Mlýnková
attacker, 24 years old
” href=”https://www.hokej.cz/hrac/natalie-mlynkova/17983″>Nátálie Mlýnková development of the duel. “It didn’t work out, we have to be smarter, play more simply. There were enough mistakes and the Swiss were able to punish them. We have to learn from this so that it doesn’t happen again.”
It was Mlýnková who gave the Czechs the lead in the ninth minute, when she scored to make it 2:1. The successful introduction, however, overshadowed the significant decline of the game at the end. At the same time, it was not fatigue from yesterday’s sharp duel with the USA.
“It didn’t work, we have to be smarter, play more simply.”
“We are used to playing to the body, the Swiss women are fierce, that is not the point at all. It was just not our day, the pucks bounced off us, we did not succeed. We let the Swiss women return to the match. Overtime was already 50-50,” Mlýnková regretted.
“It wasn’t just the third period… It wasn’t a good performance from us, at the same time we are used to matches shortly after each other in such tournaments, we were certainly not tired. The bad things today completely erased the few good moments,” said
Kristýna Kaltounková
attacker, 23 years old
” href=”https://www.hokej.cz/hrac/kristyna-kaltounkova/53465″>Kristýna Kaltounková, the first scorer of the match in the second substitution.
“It was a nice finish by Šapi (Šapovaliová), then I saw a free puck in front of the goal, which I started for. We want the emphasis at the goal, that’s what I focused on. I just hoped that they would recognize it. I ended up on a pile of players and had no idea if I would be whistled for some chopping.”
The girls now need to calm down their emotions and remember what kind of game allowed them to leave satisfied even after the loss to the USA – fast skating, aggressiveness in fights, simple and self-sacrificing play. The positive from today is rather just improved productivity.
“Coach MacLeodová, captain Tejralová and her assistants will certainly take their word in the cabin now,” admitted Kaltounková. “But I like that we all want success, not only all the players, but also the team around. Everyone can say something about it, so that we can bounce back even from a loss.”
“Everyone has something to say about that.”
Specifically, the younger Czech hockey players are doing well so far. “It doesn’t matter who’s scoring. When you look at the whole roster, the girls are doing their best. It was a little bit off from all of us today, but we’re happy for anybody to go there. Everybody’s chipping in.”
What will Kaltounková do on her day off? “I have a family here, so I invited them to the Olympic village. Mr. President will also visit us. We mainly want to enjoy it, we have a demanding schedule. Now we would like to switch off a little from hockey, think positively and get in the mood for the next game.”
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