Six Raiders Headed to IIHF Women’s World Championship

When the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship kicks off this week in Denmark, six past and present Raiders will be among the players to suit up for their respective nations.

The Colgate group features one member of the current team and five alumni. First-year forward and Prague native Linda Vocetkova '30 will represent Czechia.

Her Colgate teammate, Alexia Aubin '28, received a last-minute invite to join Canada in case an injured player was unable to play. But Aubin was called off a few days later and will join the Raiders on their upcoming road trip.

Canada already includes forwards Jessie Eldridge '19 and Danielle Serdachny '23, plus goaltender Kayle Osborne '24.

Meanwhile, Vocetkova will find a few former Raiders on her squad as well. Forwards Kristyna Kaltounkova '24 and Noemi Neubauerova '22, who have played for their homeland on numerous occasions, will don Czechia's colors once again.

For Colgate, six representatives at the IIHF world tournament is a record. While Raiders have competed in the event before, there have never been more than two or three in the tournament at once.

In addition, the IIHF marks another major tournament where Raiders competed on the world stage. In February, four women's hockey players (Kaltounkova, Neubauerova, Osborne, and Vocetkova) played in the Winter Olympics.

Such a large cohort at the IIHF is another sign of the strength and success of Colgate Women's Hockey, said the program's head coach, Stefan Decosse.

"We've always taken pride in being a program that puts development on the forefront of everything we do," Decosse said. "And that's not just the hockey player. It's always about developing the person as a whole. For our program, we devote a lot of energy in providing that individualized development experience for our student-athletes, which we take great pride in."

For the players, competing on the world stage with some of the best athletes in women's hockey is a special opportunity, especially given the competition they faced when seeking a spot on the team.

Eldridge, Osborne, and Serdachny made Canada's 25-member roster after a training camp that began with nearly twice as many players. They are part of a new-look Canadian team that is emphasizing youth as it seeks to take down Team USA, which won gold in the Olympics in Milano Cortina after defeating Canada in a nail-biting contest.

Plus, every player who was selected to represent their country will be living out a dream.

"It is a dream for them to wear their respective countries' jerseys," he said. "These athletes devote such a large portion of their time and energy to becoming high-performing players - from the time they are kids through adolescence and into their 20s. It's just such a big part of their life."

At age 19, Vocetkova will be among the youngest to participate in the tournament. Decosse said he is proud of his young forward.

"It is an incredible achievement for Linda and one we're excited about," Decosse said. "It's a testament to how she approaches the game on a day-to-day basis. She's an everyday kid. She gives her best effort. She goes right at it and is an exceptional teammate. I'm so excited to watch her on the big screen."

The tournament will run from Nov. 6 to Nov. 16 and will be played in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark. Ten teams will compete. Canada and USA have finished either No. 1 or No. 2 at every tournament.

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