Catching Up With Michaela Hesová

Last year, we met Michaela thanks to Chris Sinclair and the Rinkside Rundown podcast, co-hosting a fantastic conversation with her. At the time, she was just starting to make waves after a few impressive starts as a rising freshman star at Dartmouth.

This past week I caught up with Michaela leading into the first Women’s Euro Hockey Tour stop of the season, and she carried herself the same way she does in the crease: calm, thoughtful, but with a fire simmering just below the surface.

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It’s been a whirlwind twelve months for the 19-year-old Czech national team goaltender. She anchored Dartmouth as a freshman in the ECAC (becoming Team MVP, ECAC Rookie of the Year Candidate & 2nd Team All-ECAC), stood tall at her first Women’s World Championship on home ice, and is now stepping into her sophomore year with higher expectations than ever. But in our conversation, what stood out was more than just her accomplishment, but more how openly she reflected on the pressures, the lessons, and the small moments that define what it means to be a student-athlete, a national team goalie, and a young leader in Czech hockey.

We started by talking about the premiere of Holky na Led, a new Czech women’s hockey documentary set to release October 16th. A film crew had followed the national team through Euro Hockey Tours and national team camps, documenting their whole season, their rise and anticipation for Women’s Worlds and ultimately, their heartbreak. For Hesová, the premiere was overwhelming. “There were so many people there it was almost too much….women’s professional soccer players, softball stars, all kinds of people from the sporting world in Czechia…” For her and her teammates, while the glamour and the circumstance of the moment was special, it was also a tough reminder “…of course for all of us reliving the ending of Worlds was hard…” she admitted. She laughed when I asked what it was like having cameras around constantly. “The first camp of the year it was weird. Everyone noticed them hanging around. But by the end of the season they were basically part of the team.”

Sophomore Year at Dartmouth

If Year One was about proving she belonged, Year Two is about proving she can raise the bar. Hesová’s freshman season was nothing short of remarkable: she played in 28 games, posting a .922 save percentage and two shutouts against some of the most potent offenses in women’s college hockey. Her performance earned her a spot on the All-Ivy Second Team, one of only a handful of first-years recognized across the entire conference.

Those numbers set a high bar, but Hesová doesn’t shy away from that pressure. “Obviously, it was a great year,” she told me. “But that just means expectations go up now. That’s the standard I have for myself, and the coaches have for me. I thrive on that.”

PC: Dartmouth Athletics IG

The challenge, of course, is that Dartmouth isn’t just a hockey school, it’s the Ivy League. The demands extend far beyond the rink. “At Ivy League schools you get stuck in the academics because it’s so rigorous,” Hesová said. “But you’re still expected to perform athletically. This year, expectations are higher in both areas.” Head Coach Maura Crowell, who is now in her second year leading the Big Green, has been intentional about creating a culture that bridges those two worlds. “Rebuilding the culture” is how Hesová put it. For her, that means not letting the academic grind become an excuse for falling short on the ice. “Other top schools are just as tough academically, but their athletes succeed,” she explained. “We can’t let the Ivy League tag hold us back.”

That balance between the classroom and the crease defines the Dartmouth experience. Hesová embraces it as an advantage rather than a burden. “I’ve done my part all offseason,” she said. “Now it’s about carrying that work onto the ice, and into the classroom too.” Her excitement to return is obvious. “I’ve been counting down the days all summer,” she laughed. “I’m just so grateful for the teammates and support system I have at Dartmouth. It’s an environment where I can keep pushing myself.”

Becoming a Mentor

Despite being only a sophomore, Hesová is already passing lessons down. With Czech talents like Adéla Šapovalivová (Freshman at University of Wisconsin) and Tereza Plosová (Freshman at University of Minnesota) making the jump to North America, Hesová has found herself in a new role: mentor. She’s quick to note it’s often the little things that matter most when chatting with the two North American newcomers. Helping with grocery shopping, navigating different food standards, keeping healthy habits away from home, things players rarely think about until they arrive. “Food, sleep, scheduling all those things matter,” she said. “I just try to share what I’ve learned.”

Her psychology degree at Dartmouth fits neatly into this mindset. Inspired by Czech star Noemi Neubauerová (a fellow former Psych major and Mindset Development coach), Hesová sees psychology as a tool she can use every day, both in sport and beyond. “It’s not just memorizing psych terms. It’s something you apply to your life. I love seeing how it connects to everything behind the scenes.”

Worlds on Home Ice: Pressure and Perspective

But of course no moment looms larger than her World Championship debut. With the tournament hosted in Czechia, in front of family and packed stadiums, Hesová was thrown into the fire with less than 24 hours’ notice before her start against the United States.

PC: IIHF

“I didn’t even think I was going to play,” she remembered. Veteran goalie Klára Peslarová teased her in practice, I think you’re going to go tomorrow. Hesová laughed it off, until coaches kept glancing her way. “That’s when I realized, oh, I might actually be starting.” What followed was a trial by fire. Facing a powerhouse U.S. lineup featuring Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, and Caroline Harvey, Hesová stood tall. She made 44 saves on 48 shots, holding her ground as wave after wave of pressure crashed toward her crease.

Analysts were quick to take notice. The IIHF highlighted her composure under fire, pointing out how she repeatedly turned away Grade-A chances and gave Czechia a fighting chance against one of the most lethal rosters in the world. For Hesová, though, it was less about numbers and more about the surreal weight of the moment. Friends she hadn’t seen in years showed up. Strangers stopped her in the street. “I’m just 19. To have people stopping me, kids coming up to me at cafes. Crazy,” she said.

She’s also brutally honest about the heartbreak of the bronze medal loss to Finland. “It’s unfair to just say ‘we’re sad we lost.’ Every camp, every game, the pressure kept building. Everyone was working harder than ever. The friendship with Finland? It’s over (She did laugh while saying this, so there may still be a little love for the two competitive but friendly nations). All I want now is to beat them.”

Yet even in defeat, the experience hardened her resolve. That night against the U.S. was proof, for her, for Czechia, and for anyone watching that she could handle the biggest stage in the sport.

Eyes on the Olympics

At the national team’s recent summer camp, the focus had already shifted forward. “Everyone digested the loss on their own, did the reflection they needed, and moved on. My eyes have been on this since the day after Finland,” she said. Czech head coach Carla MacLeod has been clear: at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, the national program was happy just to compete. Now, the bar is higher. “Second time around, you don’t want to leave without a medal. This time it’s about success, not participation.” For Hesová, the biggest piece of the puzzle in her opinion is conditioning and making sure that the team is ready physically to compete at this next level. In her mind, it’s what could be holding the team back from playing perennial upset. “There’s never an excuse to not work out, no matter where you are. Physicality, strength, conditioning, that’s our focus.” Our team remembers scenes of David and Goliath during sparks of entertaining matchups during the World Championships in Czechia earlier this year. For example seeing players like Adéla Šapovalivová playing the body and winning puck battles against stars like Laila Edwards of the USA. But Team Czechia will need to find way to consistently play pest in order to disrupt the skill and talent of those above them.

Eyes to the Future

Hesová is quick to credit those who came before her, with players like Peslarová topping her list. But she is quick to mention as well the next wave of Czech goaltending talent like Anet Šenková and Daniela Nováková. From Peslarová especially, she’s learned how to separate hockey from life. “Klara taught me that if [a problem] is not affecting your life, it’s not a big deal. Throw away the noise. Work hard. She’s a true role model.”

As we wrapped up, I was struck by the duality in Hesová’s story. She is both the young goalie still wide-eyed at the weight of playing for her country, and the mentor already guiding the next generation. She is both the psychology student learning how to apply theory, and the athlete applying it in real time under the bright lights. For Czechia, Hesová represents both the present and the future, a goalie building her own legacy while carrying the momentum of a program determined to break through.

And for Dartmouth, she’s proof that the Ivy League grind can sharpen as much as it challenges. Expectations may be high on her end, but from our vantage point she’s already accumulated an impressive resume many players could only dream of…… we have a good feeling that the best is yet to come.