Sophia & NZ Ice Fernz head to Europe

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Only two sleeps to go until I board a plane in Dunedin and head off with the Ice Fernz to Europe! The team will first fly to Prague in the Czech Republic for a two week training camp before heading to Asiago, Italy for the IIHF Div IIA World Championships. The championships begin on April 6th, with the Ice Fernz facing off against South Korea. The New Zealand women's team will then take on Great Britain, Australia, Italy and Poland. The team who wins the most games will be promoted to the next division up, while the team losing the most games will be dropped to the division below. The New Zealand Ice Fernz are currently ranked as 28th in the world for women's world rankings.
I was the Ice Fernz assistant coach last year when the team competed in Auckland. The highlight of the tournament was defeating Australia for the first time in New Zealand ice hockey history. This year, I received my New Zealand citizenship and was invited to join the team as a defenceman! Despite being the oldest rookie in Ice Fernz history at age 33, I'm hoping 22 years of ice hockey experience and game sense will provide a valuable contribution to the team at the 2014 World Championships. One period from each game will be uploaded on You Tube. Stay tuned to the travel blog for stories of adventures to come!

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Comments

[Ollie]

Go Soph!
Good on ya Soph! Looking forward to seeing/hearing about how it goes :-)

[Jo Trouble]

Give em a taste of Kiwi!
Congrats on gaining citizenship, and best of luck in Europe! :-)

[Kay Wilde]

trip
Hey Sophie, have lots of fun. I admire your stamina to compete. I can't believe that 33yr. makes you the "oldest" player on your team. We look forward to hearing about your adventure. Love, Kay