SLANY, Czech Republic – The Czech women’s league has a new champion. After six straight championships for Slavia Prague, the team from the nation’s capital was dethroned by SK Karvina.

Karvina, last year’s runner-up, defeated Slavia 7-2 and 3-2 in the best-of-three final series to claim their first-ever championship.

The past few years have seen tight clashes between the two teams. During the regular season Slavia won five out of six games against Karvina, but could not duplicate the same success in the final.

After Karvina’s easy win on home ice, the second game in Slany near Prague was a tighter affair. Slavia gained the lead but Sara Sadilkova tied it up for Karvina and her teammates Nikola Tomigova and Katerina Kaplanova followed with two unanswered markers.

The team from the city of 60,000 inhabitants at the border with Poland was received like true champions after winning the road game. Players, staff, and club representatives were invited to a reception by the city’s mayor wearing their gold medals.

Aside from defending their Czech league title next season, they will also replace Slavia in the 2014 IIHF European Women’s Champions Cup.

MARTIN MERK