Bemidji State Alum Zuzana Tomcikova Earns Major International Honor

Zuzana Tomcikova was recognized by the International Ice Hockey Federation on December 6, 2025, when she received the Richard "Bibi" Torriani Award. The honor, which is given to players "for outstanding contributions to the national team in IIHF competition," makes Tomcikova the first woman to receive this distinction and spotlights her role in raising Slovakia to elite international competition.

Tomcikova's international career included helping Slovakia progress through lower divisions and securing promotion to the top division for the first time in 2009. She started all five games for Slovakia at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and was a cornerstone of the team at the 2011 Women's World Championship in Switzerland, where she allowed only 12 goals against top opponents and was named tournament MVP. Tomcikova retired from international play in 2015.

Her accomplishments at Bemidji State were foundational to both the program and her later success. A four year letter winner, she left with program records that include most games played by a goaltender with 118, 41 wins, 3,518 saves, 18 shutouts, a 2.32 goals against average and a .929 save percentage. She became the first All American and the first All WCHA First Team selection in program history. She was a three time All WCHA selection from 2009 to 2011 and a two time Patty Kazmaier Award nominee. Tomcikova was inducted into the Bemidji State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.

For Beltrami County, the award reaffirms the local connection to international sport and underscores the role Bemidji State plays in developing elite athletes. The recognition can strengthen community pride, support for local athletics and visibility for the university when recruiting players and promoting its programs. Youth hockey programs and local coaches may cite Tomcikova as a tangible example of a pathway from Bemidji to the Olympic stage.

As Tomcikova's honor circulates through alumni and athletic networks, local institutions and civic leaders have an opportunity to build on the moment by maintaining investment in facilities, scholarship support and outreach that sustain women's hockey and expand access for young athletes across the region.