Czechs Had More Chances, But the Canadian Goalie Was Unbeatable! Second Consecutive Final Loss to Canada

The Czech men’s ball hockey national team fell to Canada in the final of the 2024 World Championship, despite having more control over the game. Only one play in overtime decided the outcome. The Czechs will now extend their wait for a title to at least 15 years.

Final: Czechia vs. Canada 2:3 OT (1:1, 0:1, 1:0 - 0:1)

The first period started at a high tempo. Vojtěch Mokry was the first to feel the pressure, stopping a Canadian player who, after a brilliant pass across the entire zone, attempted to wrap around the net. On the other side, Langr and Pražák combined from the corner to create a nearly open-net chance. Fans were treated to some of the best ball hockey of the tournament. Průcha also had a good shot from the red line. The Czech players managed to neutralize Canada's movement, leading to scoring opportunities. Zdeněk Král made a good turn and tried his luck with a backhand shot. Lantin continued to hold strong for Canada. Průcha made a pass in front of the net where Jágr attempted a backhand move, but the ball was stopped by the tip of the goalie’s pad. A minute later, Lhota broke free on a solo rush. The Czech fans were pushing their players forward. The tournament's top scorer, Jan Čejka, opened the scoring. In the 11th minute, Zvonek won a faceoff, and Čejka battled his way in front of the net, putting the ball past Lantin. However, Zdeněk Král committed a foul, forcing the Czechs to defend with four players. Moquin capitalized on a play from the right circle during the power play. Immediately after the faceoff, Zvonek almost broke free towards the goal but was hit in the face with a stick, drawing blood. However, the Canadian player did not receive a penalty. This was a significant error by the referees, even after reviewing the video that clearly showed the contact. The game then became slightly more physical, but the Czechs continued to have the upper hand.

Just 24 seconds after the first break, a defensive error during a breakout allowed Moquin to find himself alone in front of Mokry, adding Canada’s second goal of the game. Mokry had to withstand several good chances from the Canadians but managed to hold his ground. The line of Čejka, Zvonek, and Kucharčík created three chances in one sequence and was the most troubling for Canada. The Czechs were trying to equalize, but Lantin held firm. At the end of the second period, Canada had more pressure during a power play, but the Czechs successfully defended it. They started the third period of the final match more actively. Kucharčík twice found himself in a good shooting position, and Markytán was completely alone in front of the net, but the crucial goal didn’t come. On the other side, a Canadian player had a breakaway. A Czech power play also failed to lead to a tying goal. However, Bílý found Pražák in the crease, who had an easy finish. The score was tied 2:2, and the European pressure increased. Lhota and Kucharčík had great chances. On the Canadian side, Moquin almost completed his hat-trick with a rebound attempt in the crease, but Mokry made a fantastic spread save. The game was played at a high tempo, with Canada having several odd-man rushes. Two minutes before the end of regulation, Čejka found Kucharčík between the circles; Kucharčík tried to pass to Zvonek for an empty net, but the ball bounced away. Then, Kucharčík unnecessarily finished his hit on an opponent, sending him into the boards. However, the referees did not call the foul, effectively making up for the missed call on Zvonek in the first period. In the last minute of regulation, Čejka rushed along the right boards but couldn’t find a gap between the goalie’s pads.

The game went into sudden-death overtime. Mokry made a fantastic save on a Canadian breakaway in the 2nd minute. Both teams had their chances, but the goalies were stellar. Moquin was close to completing his hat-trick, but Mokry kept the ball in his equipment. In the 6th minute of overtime, Lantin made a close-range save on Kucharčík and Zvonek. After a bad pass, Lhota set up his teammate. Jágr deked Lantin, but the Canadian goalie made a last-second save, and the ball bounced off the crossbar. Canada was also close to the title, but Mokry pulled off a spectacular glove save. Such a final match and overtime must have been enjoyable for all to watch. At the end of the first 15-minute overtime, Canada had a sustained attack and an open net, but the ball ended up on the side of the net. The first overtime did not decide the winner, so play continued after a break into the second overtime. Lhota took a shot from the slot and then passed to Jágr in the crease, but Lantin remained alert. The Czechs then applied heavy pressure; Lantin was already down, but none of the rebounds found the back of the net. The Canadian goalie made a spectacular blocker save. Once again, it was Vojtěch Jágr who got the rebound off Lhota’s shot from the backboards. Jágr faced an open net, unguarded, but the ball didn’t go in. In overtime at 66:39, Anderson scored the winning goal on a rebound. Léveillé did excellent work battling with Pospíšil, getting the ball to the crease. The Czech ball hockey team continues to seek the world championship title. It’s the second consecutive silver medal and the second consecutive final loss to Canada. The wait for the title will extend to at least 15 years.

Coach Reactions After the Game:

“When you look past the ending a bit, it was an amazing championship. The arena was beautiful, the setting here in Switzerland was stunning. Everything went well regarding organization and our team’s effort. The most important thing is that the team worked well together. I thanked the guys in the locker room. We wouldn’t have done anything differently, even if some of the guys didn’t play; they all contributed incredibly. The final was between the two best teams, and we witnessed exceptional ball hockey. It was a game that hadn’t been seen in about 20 years. Both teams gave it their all. I hate to say it, but maybe we just missed that little bit of luck.”