The Czech women’s national ice hockey team opened the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour tournament in Lahti, Finland, with a 2–0 defeat against the host nation on September 30, 2026. The opening match of the second tournament in the series was broadcast live from Lahti on the online platform ČT sport Plus.
Active Start Fails to Yield Goals in Lahti
Czech forward Kristýna Kaltounková noted that the team flew out of the gates with strong tempo and aggressive forechecking. Early in the contest, both Kaltounková and Tereza Plosová tested Finnish goaltender Sanni Aholaová, but none of the initial chances crossed the goal line. The squad dictated the pace of the game and maintained better pressure in the offensive zone for more than a third and a half of the contest.
Finland Capitalizes on Special Teams and Depth
As the match wore on, the physical style of play and high-tempo forechecking began to drain energy from the Czech lineup. Following a pair of minor penalties assessed to Kaltounková that Finland failed to convert, and with goaltender Peslarová stopping the best opportunities from Ekoloumaová and Yrjänenová, the home side broke through in the 35th minute during a penalty called against Czech captain Tejralová, when Holopainenová scored. Aholaová faced only a shot from Juříčková at the start and Pištěková at the end of the middle period, turning both away.
Finland Stops Czech Penalty Shots to Win
Trailing in the third period, the Czech side earned prime opportunities to swing momentum back in their direction. At the 48:00 mark, Dominika Lásková was sent in alone from behind the net by a feed from Kaltounková, but her backhand attempt missed. Soon after, Finnish goaltender Aholaová shut the door on back-to-back penalty shots awarded to Klára Hymlárová and Kateřina Mrázová within a span of two minutes. Finland then sealed the victory in the 54th minute via a deflected shot from Nieminenová. Aholaová preserved her shutout through a frantic finish that included a Czech power play and an empty net.
Player Perspectives on Conditioning and Form
Reflecting on the loss, Kaltounková explained to CzechIceHockey.cz that the international break serves as a vital transition back to game-speed competition, particularly for players returning from North America ahead of the upcoming club season. “Of course, match fitness is completely different, that cannot be trained just by yourself,” Kaltounková said regarding her return to international play. The forward emphasized that while off-ice conditioning remains strong, regaining touch and timing on international ice requires immediate adjustment. She added regarding the offensive drought, Bez gólů to nejde,
while noting the underlying frustration of walking away empty-handed despite stretches of better play.
Czech Republic Faces Sweden on October 2
With the opening day results in the books, Sweden leads the tournament table following a 5–0 victory over Switzerland, leaving Finland and the Czech Republic to battle through the remainder of the Lahti fixture. The Czech team continues its tournament schedule on Friday, October 2, 2026, when they face Sweden at 13:00 local time, as detailed in tournament coverage from Sport.cz and České noviny.
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