Australia women's national ice hockey team

Australia
Team colors
First international
	New Zealand 2 – 2 Australia ; (Dunedin, New Zealand; 6 December 2013)
Biggest win
	Australia 8 – 1 New Zealand ; (Melbourne, Australia; 17 December 2014)
Biggest defeat
	Poland 11 – 0 Australia ; (Radenthein, Austria; 7 January 2016)
IIHF World Women's U18 Championships
Appearances	1 (first in 2016)
Best result	21st (2016)
International record (W–L–T)
	4–10–1

Australia
Nickname(s)	Mighty Jills
Association	Ice Hockey Australia
Most games	Melissa Bibby (33); Candice Mitchell (33)
Most points	Stephanie Boxall (30)
IIHF code	AUS
IIHF ranking	29 1
Highest IIHF ranking	21 (2004)
Lowest IIHF ranking	29 (2015)
Team colors
First international
	Netherlands 2–0 Australia ; (Hungary; 22 March 2000)
Biggest win
	Australia 18–1 South Africa ; (Sheffield, United Kingdom; 5 March 2007)
Biggest defeat
	Denmark 12–1 Australia ; (Vierumäki, Finland; 29 March 2008)
IIHF World Women's Championships
Appearances	10 (first in 2000)
Best result	20th (2004)
International record (W–L–T)
	33–30–3

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The Australian women's national ice hockey team represents Australia at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World Women's Championships. The women's national team is controlled by Ice Hockey Australia. As of 2011, Australia has 313 female players.^[1] Australia is ranked 25th out of 34 countries in the IIHF World Ranking.

History

In 2000 Australia first competed in the qualification tournament held for the right to participate in the 2001 Division I championships. Australia lost all three of their group matches and finished seventh out of eight after beating South Africa in the seventh place game.^[2] The following year Australia again played in the qualification tournament in order to be promoted to Division I for the 2003 championships. Australia finished third in the group of five which saw Slovakia promoted to Division I for 2003.^[2]

In 2003 the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) introduced a new format for the World Championships with the inclusion of second and third division. Australia was placed in the third division and gained promotion to the 2004 Division II tournament after winning four of their five games and finishing on top of the standings. The 2004 World Championships saw Australia relegated along with Great Britain from Division II to Division III for the 2005 tournament.^[2]

At the 2005 World Championships Australia competed in Division III and narrowly avoided relegation to Division IV after finishing fifth out of six teams, beating only South Africa.^[2] The next World Championship in 2007, Australia improved, again gaining promotion to Division II for the next years tournament.^[3] Promotion to Division II however was again short as Australia finished last in the 2007 tournament and were relegated back to Division III.^[4]

World Championships record

2000 – 23rd place
2001 – 21st place
2003 – 21st place (1st in Division III, Promoted to Division II)
2004 – 20th place (5th in Division II, Demoted to Division III)
2005 – 25th place (5th in Division III)
2007 – 22nd place (1st in Division III, Promoted to Division II)
2008 – 21st place (6th in Division II, Demoted to Division III)
2011 – 21st place (2nd in Division III)
2012 – 23rd place (3rd in Division IIA)
2013 – 23rd place (3rd in Division IIA)
2014 – 26th place (6th in Division IIA, Demoted to Division IIB)
2015 – 31st place (5th in Division IIB)
2016 – 27th place (1st in Division IIB, Promoted to Division IIA)

U18 Team

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The Australia women's national under-18 ice hockey team is the women's national under-18 ice hockey team of Australia. The team is controlled by Ice Hockey Australia, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

History

The Australia women's national under-18 ice hockey team was formed in 2012 in order to qualify and compete in the IIHF World Women's U18 Championships.^[5] The team held its first training camp in September 2012 in Adelaide, South Australia and in January 2013 held another training camp in Brisbane, Queensland. Tamra Jones was named as the team's first head coach with Jo Frankenberger as her assistant. Following the two camps, 14 players and one goalie were included on the team roster.^[5] The team played their first game on 6 December 2013 against the New Zealand in Dunedin, New Zealand, tying 2-2.^[6] It was part of a four-game series being held in Dunedin between the two teams.^[6] Australia went on to lose the remaining three games of the series.^[6] In December 2014 Australia hosted the New Zealand women's national under-18 ice hockey team for a five-game series at the Medibank Icehouse in Melbourne.^[7] The team won the series three games to two and were awarded the 2014 Trans-Tasman Cup.^[7] They also recorded their largest international win in game four, defeating New Zealand 8-1.^[7] In August 2015 Australia competed in two games against the Denmark U18 team as part of their 2015 Denmark Tour which also included a training camp that had begun on 25 July.^[8] Australia lost the opening game 2-12 with Natalie Ayris and Madison Poole scoring the teams two goals.^[8] In the second game of the tour Australia lost 1-9 with Emily Davis-Tope scoring the only goal on the third period buzzer.^[9]

In January 2016 the team debuted at the IIHF World Women's U18 Championships where they played in the 2016 Division I Qualification tournament in Spittal an der Drau and Radenthein, Austria.^[10] Australia was placed in Group B with Great Britain, Italy and Poland.^[11] The team finished last in Group B's preliminary round after losing all three of their games and advanced to the seventh place classification game against Romania, who had finished last in Group A.^[11] Australia defeated Romania following a shootout and finished the tournament in seventh place.^[12]^[13] Kate Tihema was selected as best Australian player of the tournament.^[14]