Great Britain shutout Italy, while Pia Dukaric put on a 65 save clinic for Slovenia, who outlasted Poland to open the 2024 IIHF women's Division IB World Championships in Latvia.
Great Britain shutout Italy, while Pia Dukaric put on a 65 save clinic for Slovenia, who outlasted Poland to open the 2024 IIHF women's Division IB World Championships in Latvia.
Great Britain made the perfect start to their Women’s World Championship Division 1 Group B tournament, beating Italy 1-0 in Riga, Latvia.
Jodie Alderson-Smith scored the goal, while Nicole Jackson made 44 saves for the shutout. It was Great Britain’s first win over Italy since 2009.
“The players were exceptional, sticking to our plans and systems and matching Italy in terms of physicality which we’d highlighted from previous games," said head coach Mike Clancy. “This is the perfect start but we have to be ready to go again tomorrow.”
Great Britain went ahead when Laura Horwood picked-up the puck on the near boards at center ice, skating into the Italian zone making a rink-wide pass to Katie Marsden who centred to the blue paint where Jodie Alderson-Smith applied the finish to open the scoring at 37.55.
Italy outshot Great Britain 44-29, but Jackson, the player of the game, was the different.
Pia Dukaric Stands On Her Head For Slovenia
Pia Dukaric, who recently completed her third season for Yale University in the NCAA, made a remarkable 65 saves against Poland to help Slovenia to a 4-1 win.
Poland peppered the Slovenian netminder outshooting their opponent 66-28 in the game.
Pia Pren opened the scoring for Slovenia with assists from Sara Confidenti and Arwen Nylaander only 3:15 into the game. Poland responded less than a minute later as Bemidji State commit Julia Zielinska answered for Poland. Slovenia however would be the only team to score again as Nylaander, Tamara Svetina, and Julija Blazinsek, added goals in the win.
"Today, we had 66 shots on net, including 4 breakaways. But Dukaric was ultimately a huge difference maker in the game, much like she was last year, when she was named Top Goaltender at this event," said Poland head coach Joe Butkevich, who is also the head coach of the OWHL's Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins. "We had a few miscues that resulted in untimely goals."
Poland will now face Great Britain, a match up Butkevich hopes to see some of those miscues cleaned up during.
"That is something we will look to clean up and improve upon beginning tomorrow against Great Britain. Great Britain is a well coached team and was very discipline in their systems. That really helped them against Italy and winning today."