Norway goes undefeated to win gold
by Liz MONTROY|15 JAN 2024
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
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Norway won gold on Sunday with their fifth win in Jaca, earning promotion to Division I Group A for 2025. Spain improved upon their 2023 result, winning silver, while Poland took the bronze. Australia, playing in Division I Group B for the first time since 2018, finished fourth, followed by Korea in fifth. Chinese Taipei will be relegated to Division II Group A for 2025 after coming in last.

Chinese Taipei 3-Australia 2

Chinese Taipei ended the tournament on a high with their first win, but it wasn’t enough to avoid relegation.

Yi-Ting Chiu was a superstar in net for Chinese Taipei, stopping 47 of 49 shots. Australia dominated the first period, with Chinese Taipei not registering a single shot on Amelia Knott in the opening 20 minutes. Goals from Sophie Reader and Georgia Watts gave Australia a 2-0 lead, but Chinese Taipei started to stage a comeback in the second period.

At 27:37, Shu-Yu Wang skated end to end to score unassisted and break Australia’s lead in half. Ji-Cih Wu tied the game early in the third, scoring off a rebound. The game seemed destined for overtime, but a penalty to Australia at 57:49 gave Chinese Taipei the player advantage, and Xinru Yu scored 37 seconds into the power play to give her team the 3-2 victory.

Norway 4-Poland 2

 Norway officially secured the gold medal and promotion back up to Division I Group A with a win over Poland.

Polish captain Magdalena Lapies opened scoring at 2:18, but Norway responded with two first period goals from Tilde Simensen, who was named the tournament’s top forward. Norway doubled their score in the final four minutes of the second period, with goals from Hedda Fredriksen (who skated into the slot to receive a pass form Maja Carlin) and Thea Fernande Rustbakken, who was named the tournament’s top defender.

Poland managed one more goal, with Lapies skating the full length of the ice for her second of the game at 51:13. While Poland outshot Norway in the third period, they were unable to close the gap, and Norway took the 4-2 win.

Spain 3-Korea 1

The host nation delivered one final win at home to close out the tournament, outshooting Korea 41-14.

Korea scored first however, with Seohee Shim banging in a rebound at 14:39. But Spain took control in the second period, with Claudia Castellanos leading the way. Castellanos scored an unassisted power play goal at 26:45, then minutes later sent Nerea Gimenez on a breakaway with a long pass from Spain’s end line to Korea’s blue line, with Gimenez scoring to give Spain the 2-1 lead. A drop pass from Paula Gimenez to Castellanos led to Spain’s third goal of the game.

Neither team was able to score in the third, with Korean goaltender Hyoseo Cheon helping keep her team in the game. Korea was unable to capitalize on a late power play and Spain skated away with the win, with Spanish goalie Sierra Maria named the tournament’s best goalkeeper.