Rosters published for Women’s World Challenge 

World Para Ice Hockey, the fastest growing Paralympic winter sport, has published the rosters for all five teams competing at the largest Women’s World Challenge in history, which will take place in Skien, Norway from 25-28 October.

Hosted by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association, the tournament will feature four days of round-robin competition beginning with a matchup on 25 October between the two newest teams: Team Europe and Team Pacific. The tournament will take place at Skien Fritidspark, a multi-purpose stadium that also played host earlier this year to the World Para Ice Hockey Championships B-Pool.

With the ultimate goal of expanding female participation in Para ice hockey worldwide, the event will continue to pave the way for ultimately creating a Women’s World Championships and one day adding the sport to the Paralympic Winter Games programme. Over the past year, World Para Ice Hockey has achieved remarkable progress in increasing women's participation, with female representation rising from 0.01 percent to 19 percent.

Here is a closer look at each team’s roster for the tournament in order of world ranking.

USA

Team USA is yet to lose a game at the Women’s World Challenge, going undefeated to win gold in both 2022 and 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The nation’s top two-point scorers from last year’s event will return — Lera Doederlein (8 points) and Catherine Faherty (7 points) — along with 13 other returning players from the gold-medal winning squad, including captain Kelsey Lee Diclaudio. 

Forwards: Rachel Grusse, Madeleine Gallagher, Catherine Faherty, Rebecca Mann, Madison Eberhard, Katie Ladlie, Lera Doederlein, Kelsey Lee Diclaudio, Jamie Benassi, Kaden Herchenroether

Defenders: Ai Lin Zheng, Christy Gardner, Monica Quimby, Erica McKee, Chloe Kirkpatrick, Robynne Hill 

Goaltenders: Gabby Graves-Wake, Hope Bevilhymer

Coach: Rose Misiewicz 

Canada

Canada has claimed silver in the last two editions of the event and will see the return of top forwards Alanna Mah and Raphaelle Tousignant, along with star goaltender Jessie Gregory. At last year’s tournament, Gregory led all goaltenders with 45 saves, posting a 2.62 goals against average and 0.900 save percentage, and stopping 23 shots in the gold-medal game.

Forwards: Aubree Clements, Sheena Darnley, Raphaelle Tousignant, Alyssa White, Alanna Mah, Hadley Frittenburg, Hailey King

Defenders: Mackenzie Spong, Christina Picton, Claire Buchanan, Emilie Charron-Pilotte, Peyton Vergie, Alicia Souveny, Peggy Assinck

Goaltenders: Jessie Gregory, Maggie Manning 

Coach: Tara Chisholm 

Great Britain

Nine athletes return from last year’s British squad, several of whom also represented their nation at the World Championships B-Pool last November in Kazakhstan. Goal scorers Emily Louise McLean and Stacey Quirk are both back on the roster, which will be led by new head coach Breanna Wagner.

Forwards: Freya Alice Levy, Jade Amber Williams, Stacey Quirk, Dani Czernuszka-Watts, Emily Louise McLean

Defenders: Felicity Gregory, Shannon Marie Couch, Alysha Atkinson, Helen Louise McGivern, Nicola Claire Terrell

Goaltenders: Davina Jane Hall, Nicole Jodi Hill

Coach: Breanna Wagner

Team Europe 

Making its international debut, Team Europe will be composed of athletes from Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, with four of them having competed at the Women’s World Challenge for Team World last year. Solvei Harila Skjold, Caroline Persson, Anne Buisson and Lena Schroder have all played at the tournament previously, with Schroder having Paralympic Games experience as well on Norway’s national team.

Forwards: Solvei Harila Skjold, Stine Fydenlund, Kristyna Zidlicka, Anna Springlova, Caroline Persson, Anne Buisson

Defenders: Lena Schroder, Alexandra Bendiksen Larsen, Amalie Ystebo, Amanda Kotaja

Goaltenders: Meranda Reast, Tracey Arnold

Coach: Jakob Novotny

Team Pacific

Team Pacific will include athletes from Australia, Japan, Korea, Canada and USA in its first-ever tournament, with many seeing the international ice for the first time. The team will be coached by Minsu Han, who coached Korea’s national team at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics and won a bronze medal as an athlete on the team at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympics.

Forwards: Soyoun Kim, Myeonghee Joo, Ikumi Waki, Rosa-Lee Principe, Lynda Holt, Tuyet Yurczyszyn

Defenders: Yeonsoo Ko, Mina Jung, Ashlee Morton, Mariel Sanchez Rodriguez, Amanda Fanizza

Goaltenders: Hope Magelky, Elizabeth Bisaillon

Coach: Minsu Han