photo: © Lidija Lazic
In a thrilling final day of action, Lithuania earned top spot at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women´s World Championship Division III Group A in Belgrade, Serbia.
Klara Miuller had first boosted Lithuanian promotion hopes with a sensational individual dash when roaring back to beat newcomers Thailand 2-1 in overtime.
Fifth-placed Croatia then stepped out to edge arch-rivals and promotion hopefuls Serbia 1-0 in a high-octane closing game securing Lithuania´s women´s team a first World Championship gold medal. Mauras Baltrukonis´s team now advances to next year´s Division II Group B.
Three teams - Lithuania, Thailand, and Serbia - entered the final round in Belgrade tied on nine points in the hunt for gold.
The Lithuanians stepped out in the first game of the final day versus Thailand knowing that a win in regulation would clinch promotion, no matter the outcome in Serbia´s closing clash versus Croatia.
Instead, it was fellow promotion hopefuls Thailand that went ahead at 9:08. Suwipa Panyamaneerat held off three Lithuanian players along the right boards and skilfully served Rinrada Poka alone the slot who netted high on the blocker side of netminder Vilte Belicenkaite.
Gabija Petrauskaite got Lithuania´s revival underway thumping home a close-range equalizing goal on the powerplay eight minutes into the final frame. Any hopes for the required Lithuanian regulation-time win were thwarted as the Baltic nation got into penalty trouble in the closing stages of the game with Thailand pressing for a winner.
In the end, Lithuania secured the vital extra point with a shorthanded overtime winner as Miuller thundered past the last line of the Thai rearguard to convert past Thamida Kunthadapakorn at 62:37.
But all was still left to play as the puck was dropped in the closing game between Serbia and neighbours Croatia.
Eager to topple their fierce rivals on their home patch, the Croats got rewarded on their fourth straight attempt on the powerplay. Selected as the tournament´s top defender, Diana Stolar unleashed a wrister from the point at 42:12 to break the deadlock past the outstanding netminder of the tournament, Ana Ilic. A disciplined defence limited the Serbs to only 14 shots as the Croats held out for a memorable 1-0 victory. Heartbreak for third-placed Serbia, unbridled joy for the Lithuanians.
Lithuania got their promotion campaign underway when breezing past South Africa 10-3 with Viltaute Jasineviciute enjoying a six-point afternoon. It was followed by a narrow 2-1 loss to Romania, before the promotion campaign got back on track with a 3-0 blanking of Serbia. Blueliner Emilija Tuciute then stepped up to net a brace in a 4-2 win versus the Croats during the penultimate day of action.
Five members on the gold medal-winning roster - Daiva Jatkeviciene, Marija Kukanova, Nomeda Burneikaite, Sabina Zakharchenko, and Miuller - were all part of the pioneering Lithuanian team skating at the 2020 IIHF Women's World Championship Division III. 21-year-old Miuller was selected as the top forward in Belgrade notching six goals and six assists.
With just two additions to last season´s gold medal-winning debuting roster in Division IIIB, Thailand went toe-to-toe with the best at a higher level in Belgrade to finish with silver. Cool and collected in their build-up play and lighting quick on the breakaway, Thailand battled admirably throughout the week with only 15 skaters. 15-year-old Thitaree Satityathiwat enjoyed an impressive debut leading Thailand with two goals and six assists.
Romania arrived in Serbia with a roster that included half a dozen newly crowned gold medalists from the U18 Women´s World Championship Division III. Last year´s silver medalists got off to a bright start, with Edit Szekeres notching Romania´s crucial goals against Croatia and Lithuania. Their momentum was lost after conceding a late powerplay goal in a 3-2 loss versus Thailand and then failed to capitalize on 33 shots fired against Serbia. Romania finished in fourth place, with Szekeres leading the tournament scoring race with 13 points.
Skating with the youngest team in the tournament, Croatia finished fifth with two wins. Five second-period goals earned a decisive 7-3 victory against the South Africans as the Croats avenged a 2-1 loss suffered against the same opponent two years ago.
With one win in their last twelve games in Women´s World Championship play, South Africa, was unable to halt an arresting slide in Belgrade and suffered back-to-back relegation. Five straight defeats in Pionir Ice Rink sends Jean-Michel van Doesburgh´s coached team down to Division III Group B.
Klara Miuller had first boosted Lithuanian promotion hopes with a sensational individual dash when roaring back to beat newcomers Thailand 2-1 in overtime.
Fifth-placed Croatia then stepped out to edge arch-rivals and promotion hopefuls Serbia 1-0 in a high-octane closing game securing Lithuania´s women´s team a first World Championship gold medal. Mauras Baltrukonis´s team now advances to next year´s Division II Group B.
Three teams - Lithuania, Thailand, and Serbia - entered the final round in Belgrade tied on nine points in the hunt for gold.
The Lithuanians stepped out in the first game of the final day versus Thailand knowing that a win in regulation would clinch promotion, no matter the outcome in Serbia´s closing clash versus Croatia.
Instead, it was fellow promotion hopefuls Thailand that went ahead at 9:08. Suwipa Panyamaneerat held off three Lithuanian players along the right boards and skilfully served Rinrada Poka alone the slot who netted high on the blocker side of netminder Vilte Belicenkaite.
Gabija Petrauskaite got Lithuania´s revival underway thumping home a close-range equalizing goal on the powerplay eight minutes into the final frame. Any hopes for the required Lithuanian regulation-time win were thwarted as the Baltic nation got into penalty trouble in the closing stages of the game with Thailand pressing for a winner.
In the end, Lithuania secured the vital extra point with a shorthanded overtime winner as Miuller thundered past the last line of the Thai rearguard to convert past Thamida Kunthadapakorn at 62:37.
But all was still left to play as the puck was dropped in the closing game between Serbia and neighbours Croatia.
Eager to topple their fierce rivals on their home patch, the Croats got rewarded on their fourth straight attempt on the powerplay. Selected as the tournament´s top defender, Diana Stolar unleashed a wrister from the point at 42:12 to break the deadlock past the outstanding netminder of the tournament, Ana Ilic. A disciplined defence limited the Serbs to only 14 shots as the Croats held out for a memorable 1-0 victory. Heartbreak for third-placed Serbia, unbridled joy for the Lithuanians.
Lithuania got their promotion campaign underway when breezing past South Africa 10-3 with Viltaute Jasineviciute enjoying a six-point afternoon. It was followed by a narrow 2-1 loss to Romania, before the promotion campaign got back on track with a 3-0 blanking of Serbia. Blueliner Emilija Tuciute then stepped up to net a brace in a 4-2 win versus the Croats during the penultimate day of action.
Five members on the gold medal-winning roster - Daiva Jatkeviciene, Marija Kukanova, Nomeda Burneikaite, Sabina Zakharchenko, and Miuller - were all part of the pioneering Lithuanian team skating at the 2020 IIHF Women's World Championship Division III. 21-year-old Miuller was selected as the top forward in Belgrade notching six goals and six assists.
With just two additions to last season´s gold medal-winning debuting roster in Division IIIB, Thailand went toe-to-toe with the best at a higher level in Belgrade to finish with silver. Cool and collected in their build-up play and lighting quick on the breakaway, Thailand battled admirably throughout the week with only 15 skaters. 15-year-old Thitaree Satityathiwat enjoyed an impressive debut leading Thailand with two goals and six assists.
Romania arrived in Serbia with a roster that included half a dozen newly crowned gold medalists from the U18 Women´s World Championship Division III. Last year´s silver medalists got off to a bright start, with Edit Szekeres notching Romania´s crucial goals against Croatia and Lithuania. Their momentum was lost after conceding a late powerplay goal in a 3-2 loss versus Thailand and then failed to capitalize on 33 shots fired against Serbia. Romania finished in fourth place, with Szekeres leading the tournament scoring race with 13 points.
Skating with the youngest team in the tournament, Croatia finished fifth with two wins. Five second-period goals earned a decisive 7-3 victory against the South Africans as the Croats avenged a 2-1 loss suffered against the same opponent two years ago.
With one win in their last twelve games in Women´s World Championship play, South Africa, was unable to halt an arresting slide in Belgrade and suffered back-to-back relegation. Five straight defeats in Pionir Ice Rink sends Jean-Michel van Doesburgh´s coached team down to Division III Group B.