Zuzana Tomčíková (born 23 April 1988) is a Slovak retired ice hockey and ball hockey goaltender, currently working as a sports specialist with the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee. She was a member of the Slovak women's national ice hockey team from age 12 to 26, and represented Slovakia in the 2010 Winter Olympics and at several IIHF Women's World Championships. As a member of the Slovak women's national ball hockey team, she won silver medals at the Ball Hockey World Championship in 2009 and 2013, bronze in 2015, and placed fourth in 2017.[1][2][3]

Zuzana Tomčíková
Tomčíková representing Slovakia at the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship
Born (1988-04-23) 23 April 1988 (age 36)
Zvolen, Czechoslovakia
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 73 kg (161 lb; 11 st 7 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for
National team  Slovakia
Playing career 2008–2015
Medal record
Representing  Slovakia
Women's ice hockey
Winter Universiade
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Turkey
Women's ball hockey
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2011 Slovakia
Silver medal – second place 2013 Canada
Silver medal – second place 2009 Czech Republic
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Switzerland

Tomčíková's ice hockey club career was played with HC Slovan Bratislava of the Elite Women's Hockey League (EWHL), Linköping HC Dam of the Swedish Riksserien, the Bemidji State Beavers of the NCAA Division I, HC Tornado of the Russian Women's Hockey League, and HC Petržalka of the Slovak Women's Extraliga, in addition to a season played in the men's European University Hockey League (EUHL) with the Paneuropa Kings of Pan-European University.[4]

Playing career edit

During some of her teen years, Tomčíková attended Caronport High School, a private parochial school in Caronport, Saskatchewan, Canada.[5] As a sophomore, she won the Regina League Championship (regional), the Provincial Championship, and the Western Shield with the Caronport women's ice hockey team. She also played with the boys Tier II team in the South Central Minor Hockey League (SCMHL).[citation needed]

Bemidji State edit

Tomčíková was playing in the top women's league in Sweden, the Riksserien (renamed SDHL in 2015) before joining the Bemidji State Beavers in 2008. She inherited the starting goaltender position at Bemidji State from Emily Brookshaw, who had set career marks in almost every major goaltending category as a Beaver. As a freshman, she was named to the All-WCHA Second Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team.[6] She played 1805:08 minutes and recorded a .917 save percentage and a 3.09 goals against average, becoming the second Beaver to eclipse the single-season quadruple-save plateau, with 1,025 saves. She tied the school record with three shutouts and became the first player in conference history to be named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on three straight occasions (10 December, 17 December and 7 January). At season's end, she became the first Beaver to earn All-WCHA Second Team honors.[7] On 28 January 2012, the Wisconsin Badgers hosted a record crowd of 12,402 attended the Kohl Center as Wisconsin swept the Bemidji State Beavers. Tomčíková made 32 saves in front of the record breaking crowd, while her Badgers rival, Alex Rigsby, earned her sixth shutout of the season.[8] After her senior season, she was a member of the four-year class with the most wins in Beaver history, which included with fellow seniors Kimberly Lieder, Alana McElhinney, Montana Vichorek, Marlee Wheelhouse and Lauren Williams.[9]

International play edit

Tomčíková made her first appearance with the senior Slovak national team at the 2003 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships – Division II, where the 15 year old earned a .958 save percentage and 1.20 goals against average across three games played.[10]

Tomčíková was in net as Canada defeated Slovakia at the 2010 Winter Olympics by an 18–0 mark. She was upset after the match, as she had never allowed so many goals in her career. Tomčíková faced a career-high 67 shots in the game against Canada. In a statement, she said she was really happy her team didn't quit on her and the team was cheering her on after every single goal.[11]

Tomčíková represented Slovakia in the ice hockey tournament at the 2011 Winter Universiade, earning a bronze medal[12] as she made 26 saves in a 3–1 victory over the United States.

Tomčíková represented Slovakia at the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship. She was named Slovakia's Player of the Game for two games in the tournament, against the United States and Russia.[13] Slovakia's coaches selected her as one of the team's Top Three players for the tournament.[14] Tomčíková played in all five of Slovakia's games during the tournament, facing 250 shots in total, making 237 saves. She finished with a save percentage of 0.948, and a goals against average of 2.56. She had one win, and one shutout.[15] She was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and her play was largely responsible for keeping Slovakia in the top division of women's IIHF play.[16]

Ice hockey career statistics edit

Regular season and playoffs edit

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T Min GA SO SV% GAA GP W L T Min GA SO SV% GAA
2006–07 HC Slovan Bratislava EWHL 12 .953 1.03
2007–08 Linköping HC Riksserien 7 419 15 1 .929 2.15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008–09 Bemidji State Beavers NCAA 31 5 22 4 1805 93 3 .917 3.09
2009–10 Bemidji State Beavers NCAA 26 10 11 5 1541 53 5 .938 1.06
2010–11 Bemidji State Beavers NCAA 28 13 11 3 1632 50 7 .933 1.84
2011–12 Bemidji State Beavers NCAA 33 13 17 3 1967 73 4 .932 2.23
2013–14 HC Tornado RWHL 16 12 2 0 20 3 1.35
2014–15 Paneuropa Kings EUHL 4 .880 3.94
2014–15 HC Petržalka Extraliga 6 .963 1.61
NCAA totals 118 41 61 15 6945:04 269 19 .929 2.32

Sources: US College Hockey Online,[17] Elite Prospects[18]

International edit

Year Team Event Result GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2003 Slovakia WW D2 3rd 3 1.20 .958
2004 Slovakia WW D2 3rd 3 2.02 .903
2005 Slovakia WW D2 3rd 5 1.60 .915
2007 Slovakia WW D2 1st 5 0.60 .968
2008 Slovakia WW D1 2nd 5 2.16 .937
2009 Slovakia OGQ Q 4 4 0 0 240 1 3 0.25 .990
2009 Slovakia WW D1 1st 5 4 1 0 300 14 0 2.80 .918
2010 Slovakia OG 8th 5 0 5 0 300 36 0 7.20 .847
2011 Slovakia WW 7th 5 1 3 0 305 13 1 2.56 .948
2011 Slovakia Uni   6 2.54 .912
2012 Slovakia WW 8th 5 1 4 0 305 14 0 2.76 .953
2013 Slovakia OGQ DNQ 3 0 2 0 185 7 1 2.27 .953
2013 Slovakia WW D1A 3rd 5 3 2 0 299 9 1 1.81 .951

Awards and honors edit

NCAA edit

  • 2008–09 All-WCHA Second Team
  • WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (Week of 12 October 2009)[19]
  • WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (Week of 9 November 2009)[20]
  • WCHA Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Week of 20 January 2010)[21]
  • 2010 Patty Kazmaier Award nominee[22]
  • 2010 Co-WCHA Player of the Year[23]
  • 2010 WCHA All-Academic Team[24]
  • WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (Week of 5 October 2010)[25]
  • WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (Week of 4 October 2011)[26]
  • 2011 All-WCHA Second Team[27]
  • 2011–12 CCM/ACHC Hockey Women's Division I All-American, Second Team[28]
  • 2011–12 Bemidji State Female Student-Athlete of the Year[29]

International ice hockey edit

International ball hockey edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Zuzana Tomcikova, Ice Hockey". Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  2. ^ Staffieri, Mark (10 June 2013). "Dawn Tulk Scores Twice as Canada Claims World Ball Hockey Title on Home Soil". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  3. ^ Kratochvíl, Marek (6 March 2017). "I don't even remember how I started with ball hockey, goalie star Tomcikova admits with a smile". pardubice2017.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  4. ^ Crouse, Karen; Roth, Andrew (5 February 2014). "Warming to Women on the Ice". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Bemidji State goalie Tomcikova to play in Olympics for native Slovakia". Bemidji Pioneer. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2023. Tomcikova explored hockey options in the Americas and went to play at Caronport High School in Regina, Saskatechwan. She played her junior year on the girls team and moved up to play on the boys team her senior year for a bigger challenge.
  6. ^ "Bemidji State women's hockey: Cody, Tomcikova named to All-WCHA women's teams". Bemidji Pioneer. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Women's Ice Hockey: #88 Zuzana Tomcikova". Bemidji State Athletics. 2009. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Women's Record Crowd of 12,402 Watches Host Badgers Edge BSU at Kohl Center" (PDF). Western Collegiate Hockey Association: 2. 31 January 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Beavers wrap up regular season at St. Cloud State". Bemidji State Athletics. 16 February 2012. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Leading Goaltenders". webarchive.iihf.com. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  11. ^ Macdonald, Nancy (24 February 2010). "Facing off against Hayley". Maclean's. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  12. ^ "2011 WU Update - Day 10 - Ice Hockey: Women's Medal Games". FISU. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Best Players Per Game" (PDF). IIHF. 25 April 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  14. ^ "Best Players of Each Team Selected by Coaches" (PDF). IIHF. 25 April 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  15. ^ "Player Statistics by Team – Slovakia" (PDF). IIHF. 25 April 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  16. ^ "Tomcikova named MVP". IIHF. 25 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  17. ^ "Zuzana Tomcikova: Career Statistics". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Player Profile: Zuzana Tomcíkova". EliteProspects.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  19. ^ http://www.wcha.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/101409aac.html[permanent dead link][dead link]
  20. ^ http://www.wcha.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/111109aaa.html[permanent dead link][dead link]
  21. ^ "Wcha.com". Retrieved 20 January 2010.[dead link]
  22. ^ "wcha.com". Retrieved 19 February 2010.[dead link]
  23. ^ http://www.wcha.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/wcha/sports/w-hockey/auto_pdf/wchaw-2010awards-030410[permanent dead link][dead link]
  24. ^ http://www.wcha.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/030410aac.html[permanent dead link][dead link]
  25. ^ "Tomcikova tabbed as Defensive Player of the Week - Bemidji State University Official Athletic Site". 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 October 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  26. ^ "Minnesota State's Rogan, Bemidji State's Tomcikova, Wisconsin's Turnbull Named WCHA Women's Players of the Week" (PDF). WCHA (Press release). 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Kessel Named League's Rookie; Raty/Schelper First Team". University of Minnesota Athletics. 3 March 2011. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Natalie Spooner Earns All-America Honors". Ohio State Athletics. 19 March 2012. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Tomcikova and Ellisor named Bemidji State Student-Athletes of the Year". BSU Beavers. 26 April 2012. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  30. ^ a b "Tomcikova named MVP". IIHF. 25 April 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  31. ^ "2013 ISBHF World Championships, St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Women: Individual Awards". Goal Line News. 9 June 2013. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.