Latvian women’s hockey team defeats Italy

On April 1, the Latvian women’s ice hockey team beat Italy 3:2 in an exciting battle and celebrated their first victory at the IIHF Women’s World Ice Hockey Championship in the Division 1 Group B tournament at the Volvo Sports Center in Riga.

Striker Krista Yip-Chuck was recognized as the best player in the Latvian national team. After two rounds of matches, the Latvian women’s national team is in 4th place with 3 points, but they will play their next match on April 3, when they will meet Slovenia.

Both teams had experienced losses the previous day, so this match was played very actively, and the Italians attacked more, but they could not turn this advantage into goals, because our goalkeeper Kristiana Apsite worked excellently. Despite the superiority of the opponents, the first goal was scored by our ladies, when less than 2 minutes before the end of the second third, Agnese Apsīte successfully put her stick to Līga Miljones’ shot and Latvia took the lead 1:0. Unfortunately, after just 46 seconds, Italy equalized with their first goal of the tournament. Also in the last period, the Italians attacked more and more dangerously, but our goalkeeper worked perfectly. In the 54th minute, our forward Krista Yip-Chuck got away from the defense in a counterattack and with an excellent shot against the movement beat the goalkeeper and took the lead again. Italy sent the sixth player on the field very early and in the 58th minute, Karina Šilajane put the puck into an empty net with a shot from her zone, making it 3:1. The Italians did not give up and, continuing to play without a goalkeeper, 48 seconds before the end of the third period, they recovered another goal and could have equalized in the remaining time, but our hockey players saved the victory thanks to their collective efforts.

April 1, 2024, Volvo sports center, Riga (433 spectators)

Latvia – Italy 3:2 (0:0, 1:1, 2:1)

Scorers: 38:08 A. Apsite (Kubliņa, Miljone) 1:0, 38:54 Abatangelo (Furlani, Gius) 1:1, 53:39 Yip-Chuck (Šilajane, Rubina) 2:1, 57:36 Šilajane (tv) 3:1, 59:12 Niccolai (Roccella, Stocker bv) 3:2.

Goalkeepers: K. Apsite – Girardi

Shots: 30-44

Penalty minutes: 6-12

The IIHF Women’s Ice Hockey World Championship in Division 1, Group B takes place from March 31 to April 6 at the Volvo Sports Center in Riga, and in it all 6 teams will play a one-round tournament, and there will be 3 games on each game day – at 12:30 p.m. 16:00 and at 19:30 (at this time all matches will be played by the Latvian national team). In 2023, Slovakia (16th place in the IIHF ranking) fell out of Group A of Division 1, but Latvia (29th) won Group A of Division 2, so it can be said that our hockey players will have to compete with potential favorites in the first game. Italy is ranked 18th by the IIHF, followed by Poland 20th, Slovenia 21st and Great Britain 23rd.

Tickets for all matches can be purchased at https://www.passportix.eu/iihf-2#cat=47 or on site at the Volvo Sports Centre. The schedule of championship games can be found at: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2024/wwib.

Latvian women’s ice hockey national team match calendar IIHF WC 1. div. In Group B, Volvo SC in Riga:

31.03.2024, Latvia – Slovakia 1:7;

01.04.2024, Italy – Latvia 2:3;

03.04.2024, at 19:30, Latvia – Slovenia;

04.04.2024, at 19:30, Poland – Latvia;

06.04.2024, at 19:30, Great Britain – Latvia.

Latvian women’s hockey national team for participation in the World Championship in Riga:

#	Players	Position	Born year	The club represented
1	Christian Apsite	Goalkeeper	2000	DEC Salzburg Eagles (Austria)
25	Guna Esther Gailite	Goalkeeper	2001	SHK L&L
13	Aija Pigeon	Protection	1974	SHK Laima
7	Anna Kubliņa	Protection	1997	HS Kurbads/Lions
18	Emilija Yakovlev	Protection	2007	HS Riga
14	Ksenia Kezika	Protection	2004	HS Riga
11	Louise Zemesaraja	Protection	2005	Talsu Hockey Club/SHKL&L
6	Sun of Madara	Protection	2006	HS Riga
15	Sabine Kate Rubina	Protection	2003	HS Kurbads/Lions
23	Agnes Apsite	Attacker	1998	DEC Salzburg Eagles (Austria)
19	Anna Lagzdina	Attacker	1996	Reapers (Canada)
9	Evelina Kolite	Attacker	2004	HS Riga
12	Hannah Strauss	Attacker	2007	HS Kurbads/Lions
16	Karina Šilajane	Attacker	2003	HS Riga
17	Kjara Paula Želubovska	Attacker	2008	HS Riga
22	Krista Yip-Chuck	Attacker	1995	Burlington Barracudas (Canada)
10	Laima Elizabete Lukaševiča	Attacker	2000	SHK L&L
24	Linda Rulle	Attacker	2005	Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers (USA)
21	League Million	Attacker	1997	Villach Lady Hawks (Austria)
4	Sarma Gusar	Attacker	2008	HS Riga
2	Charlotte Stahl	Attacker	2007	HS Riga