After stunning Canada in the semi-finals, CSSHL student-athlete Anezka Cabelova and her Czechia teammates took home silver at the 2024 U18 Women’s World Championships.
Cabelova and Czechia would lose the gold medal game 5-1 to the USA, while Canada and CSSHL student-athletes Gracie Graham, Morgan Jackson, Chloe Primerano and Makayla Watson captured bronze after defeating Finland 8-1.
CSSHL student-athletes Cabelova, Graham, Primerano and Watson all play for the RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna Female U18 Prep team, while Jackson suits-up for the Shawnigan Lake School Female U18 Prep team.
The tournament, which took place in Switzerland from January 6-14, 2024 saw eight national teams competing for gold. At the end of the group stage Canada sat first in Group A with a 3-0-0 record, while Czechia was third at 1-2-0.
Canada would go on to defeat the hosts Switzerland 6-0 in their quarterfinal matchup while Czechia beat Sweden, who had finished second in Group B, 4-2, setting up a matchup between the five CSSHL student-athletes.
Cabelova would get the best of her RHA Kelowna teammates and Shawnigan rival, scoring twice to secure a shocking 4-2 semi-final win over Canada. Canada had previously beat Czechia 8-1 in the Group stage.
Along with a silver medal, Cabelova would finish the tournament with two goals and six assists in six games, third on her team in scoring.
While Canada came up short on their quest for gold it was a record setting performance for Primerano. The defenseman recorded 8 goals and 8 assists for a tournament best 16 points, 5 more than the next closest. She was named tournament MVP, Top Defender and a Media Team Allstar while setting the record for most points by a defender at one U18 Women’s World Championship and most points by a Canadian at one U18 Women’s World Championship. The CSSHL Female Prep division leading scorer is eligible to return to the tournament next year as she looks to set even more records. Primerano will need to increase her point total by one to tie the all-time tournament total off 33 set by American Kendall Coyne Schofield. She is 10 points behind Marie-Philip Poulin for the Canadian all-time tournament record. Primerano made history in 2022 becoming the first female skater drafted in CHL history when the Vancouver Giants took her in the 13th round, 268th overall.
Jackson finished the tournament with five goals and four assists, fourth on Team Canada in points. Graham had one goal and five assists while Watson tallied three assists of her own.