photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Elena Rasva
Newcomers Thailand burst onto the scene needing just three games to wrap up with gold at the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship, Division III, Group B in Kohtla-Jarve, Estonia.
With a watertight defence and prolific in attack, Thailand won all of their four games, netting 20 goals in the process while conceding just once.
A narrow 1-0 victory versus hosts Estonia on day three saw Thailand claim an unassailable lead at the top of the standings. Prim Dejthai´s powerplay strike from the point sneaked into the Estonian net at 10:09 to separate the two teams apart. The win lifts Thailand to next year's Division IIIA.
It caps off a victorious month of March for the up-and-coming Thai hockey program. Two weeks prior, the Thai men´s national team had finished top of the standings in Division IIIA. In Estonia, the women´s team stepped out in the spotlight to celebrate promotion in a memorable World Championship debut in Kohtla-Jarve's Spordikeskus Ice Hall.
Thailand's Wirasinee Rattananai led the tournament in scoring with six points (0+6) in four games. Teammate Apichaya Kosanunt notched five points (4+1) to win the accolade as the tournament´s top forward.
It also marks a winning start in World Championship play for head coach Rory Rawlyk. Ruthless in defense, Thailand went 235:50 minutes before conceding their only goal of the tournament in Kohtla-Jarve. Netminder Thamida Kunthadapakorn played the entire tournament without conceding a single goal while blocking 39 shots.
Thailand enjoyed a comfortable start to life at the World Championship courtesy of two consecutive 4-0 blanking. In their opener versus Israel, Kosanunt scored Thailand´s first goal in World Championship play at 15:16 and also closed the scoring.
Next up fellow newcomers Singapore awaited. Goals were shared with solidarity among Thailand´s top three lines with Nuchanat Ponglerkdee netting a brace.
Following the disposal of Estonia and already having clinched gold, Thailand closed their campaign by finding goals easy to come by in an 11-1 win against Bosnia & Herzegovina with Thipwarintorn Yannakornthanapunt netting a hat-trick. Having taken the foot off the gas towards the end, Thailand conceded their first and only goal of the tournament. With 4:10 left to play, the Bosnians scored the final goal of the game past Wilaksaya Watthanakulcharoenchai after Thailand had managed to play over eleven periods without giving up a goal.
With a watertight defence and prolific in attack, Thailand won all of their four games, netting 20 goals in the process while conceding just once.
A narrow 1-0 victory versus hosts Estonia on day three saw Thailand claim an unassailable lead at the top of the standings. Prim Dejthai´s powerplay strike from the point sneaked into the Estonian net at 10:09 to separate the two teams apart. The win lifts Thailand to next year's Division IIIA.
It caps off a victorious month of March for the up-and-coming Thai hockey program. Two weeks prior, the Thai men´s national team had finished top of the standings in Division IIIA. In Estonia, the women´s team stepped out in the spotlight to celebrate promotion in a memorable World Championship debut in Kohtla-Jarve's Spordikeskus Ice Hall.
Thailand's Wirasinee Rattananai led the tournament in scoring with six points (0+6) in four games. Teammate Apichaya Kosanunt notched five points (4+1) to win the accolade as the tournament´s top forward.
It also marks a winning start in World Championship play for head coach Rory Rawlyk. Ruthless in defense, Thailand went 235:50 minutes before conceding their only goal of the tournament in Kohtla-Jarve. Netminder Thamida Kunthadapakorn played the entire tournament without conceding a single goal while blocking 39 shots.
Thailand enjoyed a comfortable start to life at the World Championship courtesy of two consecutive 4-0 blanking. In their opener versus Israel, Kosanunt scored Thailand´s first goal in World Championship play at 15:16 and also closed the scoring.
Next up fellow newcomers Singapore awaited. Goals were shared with solidarity among Thailand´s top three lines with Nuchanat Ponglerkdee netting a brace.
Following the disposal of Estonia and already having clinched gold, Thailand closed their campaign by finding goals easy to come by in an 11-1 win against Bosnia & Herzegovina with Thipwarintorn Yannakornthanapunt netting a hat-trick. Having taken the foot off the gas towards the end, Thailand conceded their first and only goal of the tournament. With 4:10 left to play, the Bosnians scored the final goal of the game past Wilaksaya Watthanakulcharoenchai after Thailand had managed to play over eleven periods without giving up a goal.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Elena Rasva
Hosts Estonia entered the tournament with a clearly stated goal to seal an instant return to IIIA. In the end, they had to settle for second best. Blanking Israel 3-0 on the final day sealed the silver medals in front of 956 in attendance in Kohtla-Jarve.
In his second year in charge, head coach Aki Mykkanen cut the average age of the roster by five years to last year´s team that finished bottom of Division IIIA. The Estonians got off to a flying start on home ice. In their opening day 5-2 win versus Bosnia & Herzegovina, Olesja Prants needed just 39 seconds to score her debut goal at this level in her native Kohtla-Jarve.
A close-knit team, the hosts´s roster had also skated under Mykkanen´s guidance as Team Eesti in this season´s Women's Baltic Hockey Championship against Latvian and Lithuanian opposition. But similar to last year´s World Championship campaign, Estonia found goals hard to come by when they were badly needed.
Against Singapore, they managed to rally back from a goal down to salvage two points. Aleksandra-Olga Seppar had tied the game for Estonia with a last-gasp goal with just nine seconds left of the third period. Estrit Aasma then won it for the hosts in overtime 2-1.
In their ensuing pivotal clash versus Thailand, the Estonians failed to convert any of their 26 shots versus Thailand. Sofia Salamatina capped a fine tournament for the hosts by being selected as the top goalkeeper.
In his second year in charge, head coach Aki Mykkanen cut the average age of the roster by five years to last year´s team that finished bottom of Division IIIA. The Estonians got off to a flying start on home ice. In their opening day 5-2 win versus Bosnia & Herzegovina, Olesja Prants needed just 39 seconds to score her debut goal at this level in her native Kohtla-Jarve.
A close-knit team, the hosts´s roster had also skated under Mykkanen´s guidance as Team Eesti in this season´s Women's Baltic Hockey Championship against Latvian and Lithuanian opposition. But similar to last year´s World Championship campaign, Estonia found goals hard to come by when they were badly needed.
Against Singapore, they managed to rally back from a goal down to salvage two points. Aleksandra-Olga Seppar had tied the game for Estonia with a last-gasp goal with just nine seconds left of the third period. Estrit Aasma then won it for the hosts in overtime 2-1.
In their ensuing pivotal clash versus Thailand, the Estonians failed to convert any of their 26 shots versus Thailand. Sofia Salamatina capped a fine tournament for the hosts by being selected as the top goalkeeper.
With 13 players on the roster still in their teens, Israel fielded the youngest team by a considerable distance. In the end, their youthful enthusiasm lifted them to bronze.
With debutant head coach Danill Eliseev on the bench, the Israelis were led by free-scoring blueliner Lior Leshem. Selected as the top defender of the tournament, she became Israel´s hat-trick hero when sparking a comeback from 0-3 down to edge Bosnia & Herzegovina in a morale-boosting 4-3 victory.
The 15-year-old then continued her rich vein of goalscoring form with a double as Singapore downed 3-1 to finish the tournament top goalscorer with five goals.
With debutant head coach Danill Eliseev on the bench, the Israelis were led by free-scoring blueliner Lior Leshem. Selected as the top defender of the tournament, she became Israel´s hat-trick hero when sparking a comeback from 0-3 down to edge Bosnia & Herzegovina in a morale-boosting 4-3 victory.
The 15-year-old then continued her rich vein of goalscoring form with a double as Singapore downed 3-1 to finish the tournament top goalscorer with five goals.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Elena Rasva
With the Division IIIB group expanding from three to five teams, Tiffany Ong scored Singapore´s historical first goal in World Championship play when pushing silver medalists Estonia to the tilt to come away with a point.
In the closing game of the tournament, Singapore then recorded their historical first win in World Championship play. Versus Bosnia & Herzegovina, they raced clear to a three-goal lead after 3:44 to win 6-2 and finish fourth.
The Bosnians finished fifth with 17-year-old Hana Mulazimovic skating in her third World Championship leading the team in scoring with four points (1+3) in four games.
In the closing game of the tournament, Singapore then recorded their historical first win in World Championship play. Versus Bosnia & Herzegovina, they raced clear to a three-goal lead after 3:44 to win 6-2 and finish fourth.
The Bosnians finished fifth with 17-year-old Hana Mulazimovic skating in her third World Championship leading the team in scoring with four points (1+3) in four games.