Canada advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship with a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Czechia on Nov. 13, 2026, in Herning, Denmark.
Renata Fast scored the game-winning goal in the second period. Sarah Fillier and Rebecca Leslie also scored for Canada, while Ève Gascon made 14 saves in the Canadian net. Kristýna Kaltounková responded with two power-play goals for Czechia, and Klara Peslarova stopped 38 shots.
The 2026 IIHF #WomensWorlds semi-finals are set! 🔒 Who will play for gold? Drop the flags in the comments 👀#IIHF pic.twitter.com/QlNzDO1pNO
Quarterfinal Match Details
After a scoreless first period where Czechia blocked 12 of Canada’s 27 shot attempts, the offense picked up in the second. Fillier scored 1:29 into the period by pouncing on a loose puck, and Leslie added a power-play wrist shot at 4:12. Kaltounková answered for Czechia at 11:01 on a scramble in front of the net. Fast restored Canada’s two-goal lead during four-on-four play at 16:47 with a point shot through a screen.
“I didn’t think it’d be the game-winner,” Renata Fast said. “I thought we’d keep it at 3-1 or score more goals, but I’m happy that it found its way to the back of the net.”
Kaltounková scored her second goal five minutes into the third period off a rebound. Czechia pulled their goaltender late in the game, but an elbowing penalty called against Kaltounková with 83 seconds remaining halted their final push.
“It’s a testament to our team’s strength that we’re knocking on that door to beat the North American team,” Kristýna Kaltounková said.
🇨🇿 scores… 3-2 🇨🇦. La 🇨🇿 marque… 3-2 🇨🇦.#WomensWorlds | #MondialFéminin
Road to the Semifinals
Canada finished the preliminary round with a perfect 4-0 record in Group B, outscoring opponents 26-1. Their path included a 5-1 win over Sweden, a 9-0 victory over Japan, a 10-0 win over host Denmark, and a 2-0 shutout against Finland. Czechia advanced as the fourth-place team from Group A.
“We have a lot of respect for Czechia; they played a great game,” Erin Ambrose said. “I think we did a good job five-on-five; we had a lot of attempts on net, a lot of shots on net, but they played desperate and blocked a lot of shots.”
Canada will face Finland in the semifinals on Sunday, November 15, 2026. The Finns advanced by defeating Germany 6-0 in their quarterfinal matchup on Friday.
Tournament Questions and Answers
Who will Canada play next in the tournament?
Canada faces Finland in the semifinals on Sunday. Finland advanced by defeating Germany 6-0 in the quarterfinals.
🚨 GOAL! / BUT! Renata Fast! 🇨🇦 3-1 🇨🇿#WomensWorlds | #MondialFéminin | @OWHAhockey | @PWHL_Toronto pic.twitter.com/9u96VqcGJW
How did Czechia perform against Canada in previous meetings?
Prior to this quarterfinal, Canada and Czechia had faced off every year since 2023 in IIHF Women’s World Championship play, with Czechia scoring only two goals to Canada’s 21 over those four games.
What was the final shot count in the quarterfinal game?
Klara Peslarova made 38 saves for Czechia, while Canada’s Ève Gascon stopped 14 shots.
Canada edged Czechia 3–2 to reach the Women’s Worlds semifinals, but doubts linger. I look at how special teams shaped the quarter-final, what stood out about Rosalie Tremblay, and why Denmark’s empty seats raise questions for the IIHF.@TheHockeyNewsW https://t.co/Du6rRz62dr
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