Goalie Cassandra Repstock-Romme was one of Denmark’s busiest players at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
The last couple of years have been exceptional ones for Denmark’s women’s national team. They had played at the 1992 Women’s World Championship in Tampere, Finland, and then found themselves outside the top pool for nearly three decades. It wasn’t until 2019, when they finished second in Division IA, that they earned promotion back to the top. Their re-introduction to the highest level of play, however, had to wait an extra year because of the pandemic, but Covid-19 also prevented the IIHF from promoting and demoting teams, so the Danes will be back at the top WW pool in 2022 despite finishing 10th of 10 teams last year in Calgary.
But just two months ago, in Fussen, Germany, that same team won their Final Olympic Qualification tournament, thus advancing to the Winter Games for the first time in their young history.
The Danish women will be the first ice hockey team from the country ever to play at Olympic Winter Games – and will be followed by the men’s team a few days later, which also qualified for the first time.
Their final roster for Beijing has just been announced and, not surprisingly, many players have been on the full ride, from 2019 to 2021 to Olympic qualifying and onto Beijing.
There are no changes in goal form last year, but what has emerged is that Cassandra Repstock-Romme has clearly played her way into the number-one slot. She made her debut with Denmark at the 2018 Division IA at age 17, and a year later continued her progress. At the 2021 Women’s Worlds she played in two of the four games and was nothing short of sensational, stopping 50 of 54 shots. Then, in November, she played every minute of the Olympic qualifiers, earning two shutouts in the three games (the other result was a shootout loss to Germany). Her backup will be Lisa Jensen, who played only once last year after being the main goalie in 2019 during their run to promotion. The third goalie is Emma-Sofie Nordstrom, a 19-year-old who also played once last year after three WW18 tournaments in Division IA.
Every defender going to Beijing played at last year’s Women’s Worlds, so that experience will be of tremendous help next month. The back end will be led by 29-year-old Josephine Asperup, who averaged about 23 minutes of ice time at the WW. Two Malmo teammates will be with her in Kristine Malberg and Malene Frandsen as well as veteran Simone Jacquet who, at 34, is the oldest player on the team. Amalie Andersen plays at the University of Maine and is also developing into a formidable presence on the blue line. Teen Sofie Skott is an up-and-comer who played two games at the Women’s Worlds but hopes to get more of a chance in Beijing.
The forwards are led by captain and star Josefine Jakobsen. If the team has a bona fide threat, it is her. The 30-year-old has captained the team since 2018 and, like Asperup, played about 23 minutes a game in Calgary. More to the point, the team scored only three times at the tournament, and Jakobsen had two of that small number. She was also monumental in the team’s 4-0 win over Italy to begin the Olympic qualifying, scoring twice and setting up a third goal.
Two other noteworthy forwards are Lilli Friis-Hansen and Michelle Weis. They are the only two members of the Olympic team’s forwards who are playing college hockey in the U.S., so their level of play and experience will greatly enhance the team’s chances of success. Friis-Hansen plays for RPI on a team that also includes Czechia’s Magdalena Erbenova. Weis, meanwhile, is a forward for the University of Maine and a teammate of defender Amalie Andersen. Maria Peters is also returning. She scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Austria during the qualifying. Mia Bau, whose club team is also Malmo in Sweden, will be expected to contribute to the offence. Lastly, Sofia Skriver is the youngest player on the team. Now 18, she played at the 2019 IA tournament at the tender age of 15.
Peter Elander will be back behind the bench, and a finer coach of the women’s game you will not find. He coached the Swedish women during their most successful period from 2004 through to the Vancouver Olympics, then spent most of the 2010s at the University of North Dakota at the head man for the Fighting Hawks. He was hired by the Danes for 2020 but his debut was delayed until last year because of the pandemic. Elander has a star in goal and some solid players throughout his roster. He knows his priority will be to get the team to play a sound all-around game and do whatever it takes to score some goals. That will be the team’s biggest challenge in Beijing, but no matter. They are in the Olympics, and for now that’s what counts the most.
But just two months ago, in Fussen, Germany, that same team won their Final Olympic Qualification tournament, thus advancing to the Winter Games for the first time in their young history.
The Danish women will be the first ice hockey team from the country ever to play at Olympic Winter Games – and will be followed by the men’s team a few days later, which also qualified for the first time.
Their final roster for Beijing has just been announced and, not surprisingly, many players have been on the full ride, from 2019 to 2021 to Olympic qualifying and onto Beijing.
There are no changes in goal form last year, but what has emerged is that Cassandra Repstock-Romme has clearly played her way into the number-one slot. She made her debut with Denmark at the 2018 Division IA at age 17, and a year later continued her progress. At the 2021 Women’s Worlds she played in two of the four games and was nothing short of sensational, stopping 50 of 54 shots. Then, in November, she played every minute of the Olympic qualifiers, earning two shutouts in the three games (the other result was a shootout loss to Germany). Her backup will be Lisa Jensen, who played only once last year after being the main goalie in 2019 during their run to promotion. The third goalie is Emma-Sofie Nordstrom, a 19-year-old who also played once last year after three WW18 tournaments in Division IA.
Every defender going to Beijing played at last year’s Women’s Worlds, so that experience will be of tremendous help next month. The back end will be led by 29-year-old Josephine Asperup, who averaged about 23 minutes of ice time at the WW. Two Malmo teammates will be with her in Kristine Malberg and Malene Frandsen as well as veteran Simone Jacquet who, at 34, is the oldest player on the team. Amalie Andersen plays at the University of Maine and is also developing into a formidable presence on the blue line. Teen Sofie Skott is an up-and-comer who played two games at the Women’s Worlds but hopes to get more of a chance in Beijing.
The forwards are led by captain and star Josefine Jakobsen. If the team has a bona fide threat, it is her. The 30-year-old has captained the team since 2018 and, like Asperup, played about 23 minutes a game in Calgary. More to the point, the team scored only three times at the tournament, and Jakobsen had two of that small number. She was also monumental in the team’s 4-0 win over Italy to begin the Olympic qualifying, scoring twice and setting up a third goal.
Two other noteworthy forwards are Lilli Friis-Hansen and Michelle Weis. They are the only two members of the Olympic team’s forwards who are playing college hockey in the U.S., so their level of play and experience will greatly enhance the team’s chances of success. Friis-Hansen plays for RPI on a team that also includes Czechia’s Magdalena Erbenova. Weis, meanwhile, is a forward for the University of Maine and a teammate of defender Amalie Andersen. Maria Peters is also returning. She scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Austria during the qualifying. Mia Bau, whose club team is also Malmo in Sweden, will be expected to contribute to the offence. Lastly, Sofia Skriver is the youngest player on the team. Now 18, she played at the 2019 IA tournament at the tender age of 15.
Peter Elander will be back behind the bench, and a finer coach of the women’s game you will not find. He coached the Swedish women during their most successful period from 2004 through to the Vancouver Olympics, then spent most of the 2010s at the University of North Dakota at the head man for the Fighting Hawks. He was hired by the Danes for 2020 but his debut was delayed until last year because of the pandemic. Elander has a star in goal and some solid players throughout his roster. He knows his priority will be to get the team to play a sound all-around game and do whatever it takes to score some goals. That will be the team’s biggest challenge in Beijing, but no matter. They are in the Olympics, and for now that’s what counts the most.
Roster
GoalkeepersEmma-Sofie Nordstrom, Linkoping (SWE)
Cassandra Repstock-Romme, Hvidovre
Lisa Sellberg Jensen, Malmo (SWE)
Defenders
Amalie Andersen, Univerity of Maine (NCAA)
Josephine Asperup, Malmo (SWE)
Simone Jacquet Thrysoe, Aalborg
Kristine Melberg Hansen, Malmo (SWE)
Malene Clarin Frandsen, Malmo (SWE)
Amanda Normann Refsgaard, Rodovre
Sofie Skott Dahl, Hvidovre
Forwards
Mia Bau Hansen, Malmo (SWE)
Sofia Bluthgen Skriver, Lulea (SWE)
Michele Brix Nielsen, Odense
Lilli Pearl Friis-Hansen, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NCAA)
Julie Marie Funch Ostergaard, Hvidovre
Josefine Hoegh Persson, Lulea (SWE)
Maria Holm Peters, Odense
Josefine Jakobsen, Djurgarden Stockholm (SWE)
Silke Lave Glud, Rodovre
Julie Oksbjerg, Odense
Emma Elizabeth Russell, Rodovre
Nicoline Sondergaard Jensen, HV71 Jonkoping (SWE)
Michelle Weis Hansen, Univerity of Maine (NCAA)
Head Coach
Peter Elander