Czech U20 National Team Wins Gold at Pilsen Challenge! A High-Level Tournament Served as Perfect Championship Preparation
The Czech U20 national team showcased its talent at the Pilsen Challenge club tournament in early February, playing high-quality international matches from Friday to Sunday. The tournament provided excellent preparation for the upcoming world championship.
Czech Players Dominate the Group Stage and Seal Victory in the Final
The Czech U20 team kicked off the tournament on Friday with a tight match against Sierre Lions. The Swiss team struck first, scoring 35 seconds before the second intermission, but Jan Pavlík quickly responded after the break. Filip Jedelský then gave Czechia a 1-goal lead, but Canadian world champion Jean-Philippe Moquin tied the game with just three seconds left in regulation.
Their first Saturday match saw them come from behind again, this time against HBC Plzeň. The hosts scored one second before the first intermission, but David Štulc equalized in the second period. The game-winning goal came from Jan Pavlík, securing an important win for the U20 team.
Czechia continued its winning form against Oberwil Rebells. After a goalless first period, Vojtěch Šimůnek broke the deadlock, followed by a shorthanded goal from Jan Pavlík and a third tally from Petr Lehner. Czech goaltenders recorded a shutout, keeping Oberwil off the scoreboard.
A tough battle followed against Slovakia U23, where the only goal of the game came late in the third period—unfortunately for Czechia, it was Slovakia that found the net. Despite the narrow loss, Czechia still had one more group-stage match to play on Sunday against LG Bratislava.
Against Bratislava, the Czechs took the lead in the 11th minute through Jan Pavlík, but the Slovak side equalized on a power play. However, Matěj Pavlíček responded just 20 seconds later to restore the lead. Adam Slabý extended the advantage in the third period before Bratislava managed a late goal to close the gap.
With their strong performances, Czechia secured first place in the group stage, setting up a rematch against Sierre in the final.
Gold Medal Triumph in the Final!
The Czech squad started the final in dominant fashion, opening the scoring in the 6th minute through Štěpán Palán. Aleš Duchek added a second goal, and just a minute later, David Němčák made it 3-0.
The Swiss team fought back, cutting the deficit in the second period and then capitalizing on a power play to make it a one-goal game at 3-2. However, Czechia held firm defensively and sealed the victory with a power-play goal by Tadeáš Kantor in the final minutes.
With a 4-2 win in the final, the Czech U20 team claimed gold, proving their strength on the international stage ahead of the World Championship.
Tournament Awards:
- Best Player of Czech U20: Jan Pavlík
- Tournament MVP: Štěpán Palán
Czechia U20 heads into the world championship with confidence after a fantastic performance at Pilsen Challenge!
