2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship Roundup: Standouts from quarterfinals

It was an eventful day in České Budějovice, as teams battled it out for spots in the semifinals at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Scandinavian rivals kicked off the day with a tight battle. Finland got the jump on the Group B winners, Sweden, scoring twice in the opening period. However, roared back in the second period with two goals of their own, including Ebba Hedqvist’s fourth goal in two games. However, Susanna Tapani’s goal of the tournament late in the frame ended up being the decider, as Finland advanced to the semifinals for the second year in a row with a 3-2 win.

The second quarterfinal saw German netminder Sandra Abstreiter put up a valiant effort against the United States, but it was all for naught. Up against the mighty United States, Germany was unable to generate any offense. Two goals in the opening frame proved to be enough of gap, as the U.S. grabbed a 3-0 victory, once again moving on to the final four.

In front of a packed Budvar Arena, Czechia and Switzerland were involved in a tight game early on in the third game of the day. However, Czechia took control with three goals less than two minutes apart in the first period. In total, the hosts scored five goals in opening frame. While the Swiss started to generate chances later in the game, the mountain was too high, as Czechia advanced to the next round with a 7-0 win.

For the Czechs, who lost three in a row heading into the knockout stage, seeing such a dominant performance gives them a big boost heading into the semis.

The final game pitted Canada against the underdogs from Japan. While Japanese netminder Miyuu Masuhara did all she could to keep things close, Canada broke through with a couple of goals in the first period. Mei Miura scored for Japan to cut the deficit to one halfway through the second period, but that only seemed to make the Canadians mad. The red and white poured it on with three goals in the in the second period, before potting another four in the final period to run away with a 9-1 win.

Here were the stars of the quarterfinals:

Finland

Ronja Savolainen, D: When Finland was getting beaten up by the Americans, Savolainen wore the brunt of the superpowers’ attack. Yet, she’s rebounded to play some great hockey over the last couple of games. Her goal in the first period gave the Finland the energy they needed to keep their rivals at bay for the time being.

It was Savolainen’s third goal of the tournament, which leads all defenders. With four points in five games, the Ottawa Charge blueliner leads the Finns in scoring and is tied with the Americans’ Megan Keller for points by a defender.

Susanna Tapani, C: Everyone expected Tapani to be one of the Suomi’s top scorers in the tournament. However, in going up against the opposition’s best defense, it has been tough for the Boston Fleet star to break through. After registering just one point in the group stage, Tapani finally scored her first of the tournament, a big goal, to give Finland the lead after Sweden’s rally in the middle stanza.

It hasn’t been like Tapani hasn’t been trying to score. She’s involved in the action everytime she’s on the ice. On Thursday, she finished second on the team in ice time at 23:48.

Sweden

Josefin Bouveng, LW: It might not have been the ending Sweden wanted in Czechia, but they gave it all they had right to the very end. One of the stars of the tournament has been Josefin Bouveng. The winger has done an excellent job in creating offense in every game, with her second goal of the tournament tying things up against Finland. Bouveng ended up with four points in the tournament, which came after the University of Minnesota forward posted a career-best five in Utica last year.

USA

Kelly Pannek, C: I think it’s long overdue that I give some props to Kelly Pannek. The Minnesota Frost center has been having a dynamite tournament. Even though she isn’t playing on the top line, she’s been performing like she should be further up the lineup. On a line with Kendall Coyne Schofield and Abbey Murphy, Pannek scored a career-high seven points at the Women’s Worlds, including the first goal against Germany on Thursday.

Pannek is currently tied for second in the tournament in scoring with teammates Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter, who also scored against the Germans.

Lacey Eden, LW: Similar to Pannek’s tale, Lacey Eden hasn’t be regarded as one the “go-to” players on the U.S. roster. However, the University of Wisconsin product played her role very well and was rewarded with her first goal of the tournament, putting the Americans up by two.

It was Eden’s fourth career goal at the Women’s Worlds. Eden ended up putting five shots on goal in just 14:36 of ice time.

Germany

Sandra Abstreiter, G: Let’s be honest, if Sandra Abstreiter wasn’t in net for Germany, Thursday’s game could’ve been a lot more lopsided. She was getting barraged with shots from the opening puck drop, but the Montreal Victoire third-stringer was sensational. Germany was outshot 51-12, with Abstreiter making 48 saves. Outside of Canada, Germany has been the only team to keep the U.S. under four goals.

Abstreiter, Nina Jobst-Smith and Lilli Welcke were named Germany’s players of the tournament.

Czechia

Natálie Mlýnková, C: After having a tough group stage, as did the rest of her team, Mlýnková had a huge offensive burst against the Swiss. The University of Minnesota star found the back of the net for the first time in the opening frame in the middle of the Czech’s flurry to pull ahead. That kickstarted an impressive afternoon from the University of Minnesota forward. She ended up scoring a hat trick, finding the back of the net twice in the third to cap off the victory.

Tereza Vanisova, RW: Vanisova was another player who was limited in finding her name on the scoresheet. Yet, when the chips were down, the Ottawa Charge star stepped up. On an impressive line with Denisa Krizova and Michaela Pejzlova, she looked like the playmaking threat many have grown accustomed to in the PWHL. Vanisova ended the game with a goal and two assists in the win, one of three players to have three points on Thursday.

Switzerland

Lara Stalder, RW: If you ignore the five minutes where Czechia filled the back of the net in the first, Switzerland didn’t play all that bad of a game. Lara Stalder’s presence seemed to have given the team some life. The veteran had missed the last two games of the group stage with an illness. Returning to the line with Alina Muller gave Switzerland some more jump offensively, despite not being able to beat Czech netminder Klára Peslarová.

Canada

Claire Thomspon, D: It looked like Canada was going to go through the sam struggles the U.S. did with Germany, struggling to score early on against Japan. However, Claire Thompson broke the ice with her first goal of the tournament.

Thompson continued to showoff her offensive ability by assisting on Jennifer Gardiner’s goal later in the first, as well as picking up a helper on Sophie Jaques’ first-ever goal at the Women’s Worlds in the third. It comes as a shock that Thompson had yet to reigster a point in the tournament.

Sarah Fillier, C: Though she made a mistake that led to Japan’s lone goal, Fillier had the time and space to generate a lot of offense on Thursday, as the odds-on favorite to claim the PWHL Rookie of the Year award ended up finding the back of the net twice against Japan. With the scoring (outside of the top line) coming by committee, it’s bee hard for Fillier to stand out at times. Yet, her ability to be an playmaking enterprise is always available to be highlighted.

Japan

Miyuu Masuhara, G: You have to give it up to Masuhara. Japan certainly doesn’t finish second in Group B without her efforts. The international veteran ended up making 53 saves in the losing effort, and even when Canada was far ahead, she was still doing everything she could to bail her team out. Japan might never be favorites to win a major international tournament, but if Masuhara can continue to perform like she did in Czechia, Japan won’t be an easy team to face in Milano Cortina next year.

Semifinal matchups

Czechia vs. United States (9 a.m. ET)

While Czech netminder Michaela Hesova gave it everything she had, the Americans came away with a 4-0 victory when these two sides met in the opening round. The U.S. is the clear favorite, having barely looked mortal so far in the tournament. However, if Czechia can manage to take that momentum from their quarterfinal win, and with the home fans on their side, they could find a way to at least give the Americans a little pushback.

Team USA has played in every gold medal final at the Women’s Worlds, while Czechia has never made it to a gold medal game in any major international women’s tournament.

Finland vs. Canada (1 p.m.)

For the first time since the shocking upset in 2019, Finland and Canada will meet in the semifinals of the Women’s Worlds. Granted, the teams look much different from the eventful tournament in Espoo. I also wouldn’t expect Canada to take Finland lightly, even though the Canadians pulled away to beat the Finns, 5-0, in the group stage last week.

2019 marked the only time Finland, or any country other than the U.S. and Canada, has made it to the gold medal game in the tournament’s history. Canada has advanced to the championship game in 22 of the 23 world championships.

Both games on Saturday will be broadcast on NHL Network and TSN4.

MORE WOMEN’S HOCKEY

• 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship: Group stage takeaways, quarterfinal matchups
• 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship Roundup: Standouts from Day 7
• 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship Roundup: Standouts from Day 6
• 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship Roundup: Standouts from Day 5
• 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship Roundup: Standouts from Day 4

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