WW18 Division I Group A hosts go undefeated to earn promotion
Hungary allowed just two against on home soil en route to gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship Division I Group A tournament, sending them to the top division for the first time since 2014.
While Hungary was essentially untouchable heading into the final day of competition with four straight wins, their opponent was still battling to attempt to avoid relegation, making for a perhaps surprisingly tight game between the hosts and Austria.
Hungary managed just two shots on net in the first period before gaining some momentum in the second, but the game was scoreless until the 52nd minute of play, when Brown University commit Boglarka Bahiczki-Toth, the tournament’s Top Defender, broke the stalemate with a stunning goal. Hungary took the win 1-0, collecting their third shutout of the tournament and officially sending Austria to Division I Group B.
Hungary’s opening game of the tournament was similarly gridlocked until the third period. While both Hungary and France scored in the first, neither was able to get the upper hand until the third, when Reka Hiezl scored two to give Hungary the 3-1 win.
Throughout the tournament, Hungary didn’t necessarily always get many pucks on net, but when they did, they were able to execute. This was evidenced in their game against Norway—although Hungary won 3-0, they were outshot 38-17, also pointing to the importance of the performance from Hungary’s goaltending duo, who were crucial to the team’s success. Helga Milibak earned shutouts in both games she played, while Noemi Takacs took home one shutout and the Top Goaltender honours.
Bahiczki-Toth put on a well-rounded performance in Budapest, contributing defensively and offensively. She helped set up three of Hungary’s goals in their second shutout of the tournament, a 4-0 win over Italy.
As for Austria, despite finishing last, many of their games were close contests. In their opening loss to Italy, Austria almost managed to climb back from a 4-1 deficit, thanks in large part to two goals from Emma Lintner, her first-ever international goals. Austria’s sole win was a 2-1 overtime victory over France, with the game winner scored by—you guessed it—Lintner.
The story for Italy, who finished second in the tournament for the third year in a row, was Matilde Fantin and Manuela Heidenberger. Both had impressed the year prior, and continued to prove themselves as two of the tournament’s best players, with Fantin receiving the Top Forward award.
Heidenberger, who is in the midst of her first season in Finland’s Auroraliiga with HPK, scored twice in Italy’s opening 4-3 win over Austria, with Fantin, a Penn State University commit, assisting on three goals. Both were crucial in Italy’s second win as well, with Fantin opening scoring in an eventual 3-1 win over France and Heidenberger helping Italy reclaim their lead after France tied the score 1-1.
The only game in which these two were held off the scoresheet was the team’s 4-0 loss to Hungary, their only loss of the tournament. Fantin scored both Italian goals, one of which was shorthanded and set up by Heidenberger, in Italy’s 2-1 win over Norway, and their closing 3-0 shutout win over Germany saw both set up Emily Innocenti for Italy’s second goal of the game, with Heidenberger sealing the deal with an empty netter.
Germany somewhat started 2025 out on the right foot, with wins over Normany and Austria—and these would end up being just enough to secure the bronze. Back in Division I Group A after a short stint in the Top Division last season, Germany followed these wins with three consecutive losses.
Fifteen-year-old Alexandra Boico was a standout player for Germany. Making her international debut in Budapest, Boico scored a hat trick in the win over Austria, and would end up being her team’s top scorer and the tournament’s top goal scorer.
Also back in Division I Group A this year was Norway, who won last season’s Division I Group B tournament, and showed a lot of promise with a fourth place finish despite some ups and downs. While they opened with two losses, there were some positives; against Hungary, Norway was able to get a lot of pucks on net and successfully killed three consecutive penalties early in the game.
Their first win came in a wild match-up with Austria, who went up 3-0 over Norway in the first period. Norway gradually climbed back however to take the win, scoring one goal in the first period, one in the second, and one in the third. Kajsa Braten, who also scored both of Norway’s goals in their loss to Germany, was the hero in overtime.
The Norwegians ended on a strong note, outshooting France 33-19 to win their final game 5-3. The first period was hectic, with both teams scoring three goals each. A shorthanded goal from Tiril Arntzen in the second period gave Norway the lead, with Miriam Toet-Uddveg added one in the third on the power play to ensure the win.
France was able to avoid relegation largely in part to their win over Germany, in which they overcame an early 2-0 deficit to win 4-3.