Puerto Rico won gold at the IIHF 3X3 Series last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Puerto Rico beat the host Argentinian team 7-6 in overtime of the final to capture gold in the women's hockey event, which took place at the recently opened Fantasy Skate Arena, which was built specifically for 3x3 hockey. Argentina had entered the championship with a perfect 4-0 record, including a previous 5-1 win over Puerto Rico in the round robin stage. Brazil won bronze defeating Columbia 5-1. With 3x3 hockey remaining a target for inclusion in future Olympic competitions, for the IIHF the event is an opportunity to grow the game in developing hockey nations. The interest in the event was evident in Buenos Aires. “There was huge interest, several games were even sold out,” Dicky Haiek, president of the Asociacion Argentina de Hockey Sobre Hielo y en Linea told the IIHF. [https://www.iihf.com/en/news/70900/puerto_rico_wins_women_s_3x3_series_in_argentina] “Tickets were free, but we needed to organize everyone, and on the last day we had a representative from the Ministry of Sport hand out player awards after the final game. Also, a businessman from Bariloche, Diego Fenoglio, who wants to build two, Olympic-size indoor rinks, was also at the final. He was happy with the tournament and the way things went, so he wants to work towards finalizing his plans. If he can do this, it would be an incredible step forward for hockey in Argentina.” Defender Alma Ameigeiras Mina, who spent last season at Purcell Academy in Canada, was named tournament MVP and Best Defender after scoring 15 of Argentina's 44 goals. Florida-born Katie Leffler was Puerto Rico's top scorer with 18 goals. She was named the tournament's Best Forward. 14-year-old netminder Estela Vazquez, who plays for the Connecticut Jr. Rangers, was named Best Goaltender after backstopping Puerto Rico at the tournament. The event, overall, was another positive step toward Olympic inclusion of 3x3 hockey. “Argentina, with its new ice rink, was a great opportunity to test the 3x3 discipline further on our specified ice size for the upcoming UHL Breaking the Ice Tour,” said Florian Mayer, the IIHF’s 3x3 Sport Manager. “The goal is not only to promote and develop the new 3x3 discipline within the Americas but also to get a confirmation that our new format is well accepted by the teams and fans—proof of concept, as it were. Additionally, it is a great development format for the IIHF’s Associate Members to compete on an international level and participate in our development sessions. But our biggest goal is still to add the 3x3 discipline into the 2034 Winter Olympics.”
