Column: U.S. women’s hockey defeats Czech Republic to advance to Olympic semifinals

The defending Olympic champion U.S. women’s hockey team held off an impressive quarterfinal challenge by the first-time Olympian Czech Republic on Friday, winning their quarterfinal 4-1 at Wukesong Sports Centre.

The Americans outshot the Czechs 59-6, but Czech goaltender Klara Peslarova was outstanding while keeping her underdog team in the game.

The U.S. women’s semifinal opponent is to be determined because teams are reseeded after the quarterfinal round, which continues through Saturday.

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The Czechs opened the scoring on their first official shot on goal, in the second period. Michaela Pejzlova, a two-time NCAA champion at Clarkson University, scored off a scramble in front at 4:59 after Denisa Krizova — who played at Northeastern — had won a battle along the boards.

The U.S. pulled even 48 seconds later, when Hilary Knight crashed the net to convert the rebound of a shot by Kendall Coyne Schofield.

The Czechs had a chance to take the lead during a five-minute power play they gained during the second period, after Dani Cameranesi was penalized for boarding, but they couldn’t get their offense organized. And Peslarova was solid, stopping Alex Carpenter — the Americans’ top goal scorer in the tournament — on a breakaway just over 17 minutes into the period.

Lee Stecklein’s long shot appeared to glance off a Czech player and into the net at 6:49 of the third period to give the Americans a 2-1 lead. Savannah Harmon increased that lead with a power-play goal at 16:51, and Coyne Schofield scored into an empty net with 5.6 seconds left for the final flourish.