Slovakian duo takes Team World to the heart of fans at Women's World Championships

They are everywhere in Dolny Kubin – on posters, in interviews, and in the hearts of the fans. Ema Simakova and Michaela Hozakova are Slovakia’s first female Para ice hockey players, and their presence has made Team World the most cheered-for squad at the inaugural Women’s World Championships. 

On Wednesday, they played their second game of the tournament – and what a game it was.

Great Britain edged out Team World with a 2-1 victory in the closest-contested game so far at the Dolny Kubin Winter Stadium. The win secured Team GB a spot in Saturday’s semi-finals, while Team World will now face Australia in the fifth place game. But Hozakova and Simakova, this is just the beginning of a new chapter. 

“This is a historic moment, we are very proud that the first Women’s World Championships is happening here. We want to keep Slovaks proud that they have women in the team,” said 22-year-old Hozakova. “I hope this will help bringing more women to Para ice hockey.”

“I have loved hockey since I was a child, so that was a plus. And also because it’s a team sport and a contact sport, so there is a lot of physical effort. It helps me in my personal life as well,” she added.

Team World features players from nine different nationalities – including Adriana Sarkoziova, Jana Kovarickova and Kristina Zidlicka who come from neighbouring Czechia, as well as Head Coach Jakub Novotny. 

Despite only meeting in Slovakia, the team has quickly bonded. 

“Each of us brings something different to the team. I always have something to say to everyone,” she said, while waiting to meet fans alongside 16-year-old Simakova. “All players have a lot of experience, and we just want to enjoy the moment. I also had the opportunity to practice with the USA players, and it was great.”

🇸🇰 Playing a World Championships at home in front of family and friends - it’s a dream start for Slovak rookie Ema Mária Šimáková with Team World 🤩

An example to follow!#ParaIceHockey #DolnyKubin2025 pic.twitter.com/UaeEfWTMqo

— Para Ice Hockey (@paraicehockey) August 27, 2025

Great Britain opened the scoring just 1:50 into the first period with a player-play goal  from Felicity Gregory. Akari Fukunishi of Japan equalised late in the period, but Gregory struck again early in the second to secure the 2-1 win.

Team GB’s goaltender Nicole Hill recorded 12 saves, while Merand Reast of Team World made 10 stops. 

“The team is really thrilled. It’s a great day for GB Para ice hockey, especially for women. We’re really excited about today and looking forward for the competition,” Gregory said. “We gave it all. We had some new additions to the team, they were making their debut as well in the first Women’s World Championships, so it was a real motivational day.” 

Norway 7-0 Australia

Earlier on Wednesday, Norway made their international debut in a World Para Ice Hockey tournament with a commanding 7-0 win over Australia in Group A. The result booked Norway’s ticket to Saturday’s semi-final against either Canada or Great Britain.

Lena Schroeder scored a hat-trick in the first 94 seconds of the game, setting the tone for Norway’s dominant performance. Maren Norheim, Alexandra Larsen, and Sara Fiskerud added goals in the first period, while Karen Reite wrapped up the scoring in the second.

“I’ve playing for a lot of years, and I wanted to show what I can do. I saw I had a chance to goal and decided just to go for it and set the mood for the game,” said Schroeder. “The whole mood during the game was great, it was important for people to feel good and enjoy as it was the first game.”

Hat-trick in 1 minute 34? No problem for Lena Schroeder 😌

What a start for Team Norway! 🇳🇴#ParaIceHockey #DolnyKubin2025 pic.twitter.com/joypwJc0Mf

— Para Ice Hockey (@paraicehockey) August 27, 2025

Rosa-Lee Principe was pleased with Australia’s second performance in Slovakia: 

“We enjoyed this game. We set as our mission to get stronger and stronger as a team, and I think we did that. And it was a learning curve from playing against Team USA in the first game.”

The preliminary round concludes on Thursday with two key matchups: USA vs Norway in Group A at 16:00, and Canada vs Great Britain in Group B at 19:30 (local time). The results will determine the semi-final pairings and set the stage for a thrilling weekend in Dolny Kubin.

All games are being streamed live on the Paralympic YouTube channel and World Para Ice Hockey Facebook page. 

Complete schedule and stats can be found here.