Latvia women's national ice hockey team

Latvia
Shirt badge/Association crest
AssociationLatvijas Hokeja Federācija
General managerInguna Lukašēviča
Head coachHannu Saintula
AssistantsVladislavs Koniševs
Paulis Zvirgzdiņš
CaptainLīga Miljone
Most gamesAija Balode (155)
Top scorerInese Geca-Miljone (87)
Most pointsInese Geca-Miljone (148)
Team colors   
IIHF codeLAT
Ranking
Current IIHF29 Steady (28 August 2023)[1]
Highest IIHF11 (2007)
Lowest IIHF29 (2022)
First international
Ukraine  3–0  Latvia
(Riga, Latvia; 1 November 1992)
Biggest win
Latvia  39–0  Bulgaria
(Liepāja, Latvia; 5 September 2008)
Biggest defeat
Finland  17–0  Latvia
(Riga, Latvia; 24 March 1995)
World Championship
Appearances20 (first in 1999)
Best result11th (2007, 2011)
International record (W–L–T)
72–99–7

The Latvian women's national ice hockey team represents Latvia at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF Women's World Championship and is controlled by the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (Latvian: Latvijas Hokeja federācija). In recent years, participation women's hockey has increased in Latvia; the number of registered women's players grew from 74 in 2018 to 223 in 2020.[2]

Tournament record

Olympic Games

Latvia never qualified for an Olympic tournament. The team participated in the 2006 Olympic qualification tournament and in the Olympic pre-qualification tournaments in 2010, 2014, and 2018.

World Championship

Graph shows Latvian results in IIHF World Championship since 1999.

Having failed to qualify for Group A of the 1999 World Championship, Latvia debuted in the 1999 Women's World Championship Group B. In the following tournaments, the Latvian team remained at the Group B level, which was renamed Division I in 2003. They were saved from relegation in 2005, further to the extension of the Top Division. Their best performance was realized during the 2007 tournament with a second place of Division I, complemented by an IIHF World Ranking of 11th. However, in 2008 they finished last in Division I and were relegated. They remained in Division II but earned promotion after the 2009 tournament. In 2011, they reached 11th place once again after finishing 3rd in Division I. In 2013, they were relegated to Division IB, but at the following tournament in 2014, they gained promotion on the home ice in Ventspils, Latvia to Division IA. In 2015, they were relegated once again back to Division IB, where they remained for four tournaments, taking home Division IB silver in 2016 and bronze in 2017 and 2018. Their performance in the 2019 Division IB tournament was much weaker than in the previous several tournaments and culminated in a last place finish and relegation to Division IIA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 Division IIA tournaments were cancelled and the placement tables frozen, resulting in Latvia remaining in 22nd place until Division II tournaments can be organized again.

Year Finish
1999 Finished in 13th place (5th in Group B)
2000 Finished in 14th place (6th in Group B)
2001 Finished in 14th place (6th in Group B)
2003 Finished in 13th place (5th in Division I)
2004 Finished in 12th place (3rd in Division 1)
2005 Finished in 14th place (6th in Division 1)
2007 Finished in 11th place (2nd in Division I)
2008 Finished in 15th place (6th in Division I and relegated to Division II)
2009 Finished in 16th place (1st in Division II and promoted to Division I)
2011 Finished in 11th place (3rd in Division I)
2012 Finished in 13th place (5th in Division IA)
2013 Finished in 14th place (6th in Division IA and relegated to Division IB)
2014 Finished in 15th place (1st in Division IB and promoted to Division IA)
2015 Finished in 14th place (6th in Division IA and relegated to Division IB)
2016 Finished in 16th place (2nd in Division IB)
2017 Finished in 17th place (3rd in Division IB)
2018 Finished in 18th place (3rd in Division IB)
2019 Finished in 22nd place (6th in Division IB and relegated to Division IIA)
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[3]
2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[4]
2022 Finished in 24rd place (2nd in Division IIA)
2023 Finished in 23rd place (1st in Division IIA and promoted to Division IB)

European Championship

Year Finish
1993 Finished First place in Group B (promoted to group A)
1995 Finished 6th (demoted to Group B)
1996 Finished second place in Group B

Roster

Roster for the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship Division I B in Beijing, China, during 6–12 April 2019.[5][6]

Head Coach: Miks Golubovičs Assistant Coach: Laila Dekmeijere-Trigubova

No. Pos. Name Height Weight Birthdate and age† Team
1 G Kristiāna Apsīte 1.54 m (5 ft 1 in) 55 kg (121 lb) (2000-05-18)18 May 2000 (aged 18) Latvia Laima Rīga
2 F Baiba Kurme 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) 60 kg (130 lb) (1992-04-04)4 April 1992 (aged 27) Latvia Laima Rīga
3 F Jūlija Mihejenko 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) 63 kg (139 lb) (1987-10-05)5 October 1987 (aged 31) Latvia SHK Pārdaugava/Lauvas
6 F Karīna Aņisimova 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in) 53 kg (117 lb) (1995-05-04)4 May 1995 (aged 23) Denmark Odense IK
7 D Anna Kubliņa 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) 70 kg (150 lb) (1987-06-06)6 June 1987 (aged 31) Latvia SHK Pārdaugava/Lauvas
8 D Sarma Ozmena 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) 70 kg (150 lb) (1979-05-05)5 May 1979 (aged 39) United States Minnesota Blue Js
9 F Zane Kronberga 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) 60 kg (130 lb) (1991-08-19)19 August 1991 (aged 27) Latvia Laima Rīga
11 F Ilona Ābola 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) 55 kg (121 lb) (1991-08-10)10 August 1991 (aged 27) Latvia Laima Rīga
12 D Elīza Platā 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) 60 kg (130 lb) (1995-12-13)13 December 1995 (aged 23) Latvia SHK Pārdaugava/Lauvas
13 D Aija Apsīte 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in) 58 kg (128 lb) (1974-11-23)23 November 1974 (aged 44) Latvia Laima Rīga
14 F Kitija Voitkeviča 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) 68 kg (150 lb) (1993-10-14)October 14, 1993 (aged 25) Latvia Laima Rīga
15 D Sabīne Kate Rubina 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) 60 kg (130 lb) (2003-05-10)10 May 2003 (aged 15) Latvia LNL Riga
16 F Karina Šilajane 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) 68 kg (150 lb) (2003-01-12)12 January 2003 (aged 16) Latvia Laima Rīga
17 D Beāte Žagare 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) 65 kg (143 lb) (2000-05-13)13 May 2000 (aged 18) Latvia Laima Rīga
18 F Ivita Krūmiņa 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) 50 kg (110 lb) (1981-09-19)19 September 1981 (aged 37) Latvia Laima Rīga
19 F Anna Katrīna Lagzdiņa 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) 60 kg (130 lb) (1996-10-06)6 October 1996 (aged 22) Canada Lethbridge Jr. Eagles
20 G Evija Tētiņa 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) 68 kg (150 lb) (1985-05-09)9 May 1985 (aged 33) Latvia Laima Rīga
21 F Līga Miljone 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) 57 kg (126 lb) (1997-03-20)20 March 1997 (aged 22) United States Maine Black Bears
22 F Ieva Pētersone 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) 75 kg (165 lb) (1989-05-26)26 May 1989 (aged 29) Latvia SHK Pārdaugava/Lauvas
24 F Māra Trēziņa 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) 62 kg (137 lb) (1980-07-16)16 July 1980 (aged 38) Latvia SHK Pārdaugava/Lauvas

† Age at time of tournament, 6 April 2019.

References

  1. ^ "IIHF Women's World Ranking". IIHF. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. ^ "IIHF Member Associations: Latvia". International Ice Hockey Federation. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  3. ^ Steiss, Adam (2 March 2020). "IIHF cancels March tournaments". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. ^ Steiss, Adam (18 November 2020). "IIHF Council announces more cancellations". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  5. ^ "2019 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship, Division 1 – Group B: Latvia, Roster". International Ice Hockey Federation. 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  6. ^ "IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Div I Group B – Team Roster: LAT – Latvia". International Ice Hockey Federation. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2020.

External links