Erie, PA – There are four Lakers who will be playing at the IIHF World Championships, with two more invited to camp.
The United States based World Championships will begin April 3rd, and will be in Utica, New York. These games will feature sophomore Thea Johansson (Forward, Sweden), freshman Sofia Skriver (Forward, Denmark), and incoming freshman Julia Schalin (Forward, Finland).
The opening game will be Denmark vs. Sweden, meaning that there will be two Lakers showcased during the first game.
Julia Schalin will be with Finland in bracket A, with the United States, Canada, Czechia, and Switzerland. Bracket B will have Sweden, Denmark, Japan, China, and Germany. Here is a statement from Schalin:
"I'm really excited to represent Finland at my first senior World Championships. Playing against the best players in the world has been my dream since I was a little girl. I'm looking forward to playing in front of the big audience and face North American teams and those players I've watched on TV for Years."
The Austrian based World Championships will begin April 21st, and will be in Klagenfurt, Austria. These games feature Mercyhurst graduate student Ena Nystrom (Goaltender, Norway). There are two future Lakers who are expected to be a part of their World Championship teams as well.
First, Regina Metzler (Forward, Hungary) was invited to camp. Metzler was a part of last year's World Championship team for Hungary, but the official roster will not be released until a later date. Here is the statement from Metzler:
"I am excited to have this opportunity to play with the Hungarian Women's National Team. I can't wait to see what the team will be able to do at the World Championship. I expect that, as in every World Championship so far, I will return home with many new experiences. One thing I am hoping to receive from this experience is to get the gold medal and the team moving up to the top division."
Next, Magdalena Luggin (Goaltender, Austria) was invited to camp. Luggin's sister is also a goaltender for the World Championship team. Here is the statement from Luggin:
"I am really excited for World Championships and to get a chance to play in front of a home crowd. It's always an honor representing Austria and we are of course trying to reach our goal of finishing in the top two spots to get promoted to the top division. I also think it will be a great experience that will prepare me for the season at Mercyhurst next year."
Follow along on Mercyhurst Women's Ice Hockey social media accounts to stay up to date on the World Championships, as well as to watch interviews with Ena Nystrom, Thea Johansson, and Sofia Skriver!
