The semifinals are set at the 2026 Women’s World Championship.
On Friday, the knockout round kicked off with four quarterfinal matchups. Canada narrowly edged Czechia to avoid an upset, while Sweden, Finland, and USA clinched shutout victories to book spots in the semifinal.
Meanwhile, in the relegation match, Worlds debutants Austria earned a 2-1 overtime victory against Japan thanks to a 2-goal performance from captain and Brynäs IF forward Anna Meixner.
Canada 3, Czechia 2
Canada managed to hold off the Czechs on Friday afternoon, earning a narrow 3-2 victory.
Sarah Fillier got Canada on the board early in the second period, finishing a feed from Rosalie Tremblay at the end of a nice passing play. Minutes later, Rebecca Leslie doubled Canada’s lead on the power play.
Lack of discipline proved costly through the second half of the game for Canada. New York Sirens sniper Kristýna Kaltounková converted twice on the power play for Czechia. Ultimately, the Canadians were able to secure the victory with a second-period game-winner from Renata Fast.
Down to the final four, head coach Kori Cheverie may need to look at shaking up her lines to find more offense against Sweden in the semifinals.
Finland 6, Germany 0
After mounting a strong campaign through the preliminary round, Germany were dark-horse contenders for a top-four finish. Unfortunately for the Germans, their luck ran out against a stronger Finnish team on Friday. The team managed just 11 shots, all of which Sanni Ahola turned away to earn the shutout.
At the other end, Petra Nieminen put up a 3-point performance as the Finns saw six players find the scoresheet. However, they now face a much tougher test in the semifinals as they get set to take on the United States.
Sweden 1, Switzerland 0
In the evening, Sweden defeated Switzerland 1-0. Toronto Sceptres forward Sara Hjalmarsson had the sole goal for the Swedes, redirecting a shot from Ohio State Buckeyes defender Mira Jungåker.
Switzerland captured bronze at the 2026 Olympics but struggled at this year’s World Championship after a number absences due to retirements and injuries. Switzerland did a decent job of slowing Sweden’s offense in the quarterfinal but couldn’t convert the other way, managing just five shots.
USA 14, Denmark 0
No surprises for the United States on Friday. The reigning World Champions and Olympic Gold medallists dominated Denmark to advance to the semifinals. KK Harvey and Haley Winn led the way with 4 points each. Harvey currently leads the tournament with 13 points, one shy of her personal record of 14 set in 2023.
Semifinal schedule
Both semifinal matches are scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15, at Hockey Arena Herning.
- USA vs. Finland, 3 PM local (9 AM EST)
- Canada vs. Sweden, 7 PM local (1 PM EST)
