Russia womens national ice hockey team represent our country at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s IIHF World Women’s Championships. The team consists 308 female players, and is managed by Ice Hockey Federation of Russia. Let me introduce you to some of the most beautiful female representatives of Russian ice hockey team. Gorgeous Defense-woman Angelina Goncharenko. “Too beautiful for hockey”, fans comment Angelina Goncharenko’s photos on social page. Angelina came to hockey with her brother. Prior to joining the Ufa club “Agidel” in summer of 2013, she played exclusively in the male teams. First, in the “Orbit” and then in “Polar Bears”. Despite her age of 19 years, she has already played in two World Championships and won bronze medal at the last world championship in Ottawa. Her goal – getting into the Olympic team and successful performance in Sochi.
Russia womens national ice hockey team: Yekaterina Solovyova
Yekaterina Solovyova is from the city of Pervouralsk. Ice-hockey has become her life choice since the age of 8, when she was noticed by a coach, who came to school to choose girls for ice-hockey team. From the age of 14 Yekaterina lived apart from her family, as she admits it was hockey which taught her to live independently. Beautiful Forward Yekaterina Solovyova is bronze medalist of World Cup 2013. “Every athlete wants to be beautiful, sometimes I wear dresses, all depends on my mood”.
Lyudmila Belyakova:
world bronze medalist 2013 Lyudmila Belyakova still plays for a team of young “North Star”. Lyudmila came to hockey following her father and brother. She started swimming and martial arts but came back to hockey, and finally realized that hockey is her sport. She is both beautiful and courageous – this girl spent one of the tournaments with a broken arm.
Alexandra Vafina:
One of the few Russian hockey players, who has experience of playing in North America for one season, then returned to Chelyabinsk “Fakel”. Alexandra Vafina acts together with her mother – hockey player Lyubov Vafina, participant of the 2010 Olympics, World Championships bronze medalist 2013. “Right now my main goal – to become a part of the Olympic team. Overall I don’t see my life without sports. Hockey is my life” – noted Vafina.
Comparing men’s and women’s hockey, Alexandra finds at least one advantage of the girls: “Maybe our game is not as dynamic as men’s and we do not put up a fight on the ice, but otherwise we did not concede. We face the same goals and objectives – to deceive, circle, beat and, of course, to score the puck into the opponent’s gates. Probably women’s hockey will never approach by popularity the male’s. Men are stronger and faster than us, their game is more spectacular. We are not playing at such high speeds, but we are beautiful”.
Anna Prugova:
Prugova started her way to the big hockey in Khabarovsk. At age 11, she came to the match of “Cupid” and immediately fell in love with this game. On Women’s Day March 8, her dad gave her goalkeeper uniform, instead of box of chocolate. By her age 20 years Prugova has already become the world bronze medalist in 2013, and participant of the 2010 Olympics. In Vancouver, Anna was the youngest participant of the Russian team. Anna is known not only as a reliable goalkeeper, but also one of the most beautiful hockey players in the world.
Head coach of the national women’s team Michael Chekanov named the players to prepare for the Nations Cup, which will be held in Germany from 3 to 6 January, and will be the final tournament before the Olympics. Preliminary roster includes 26 hockey players – 3 goalkeepers, 8 defenders and 15 attackers.
Goalkeepers – Nadezhda Alexandrova 1986 (HC SKIF), Julia Leskina 1991 (HC “Spartak- Mercury”), Anna Prugova 1993 (HC “Tornado”).
Defenders – Angelina Goncharenko 1994 (HC “Agidel”), Inna Dyubanok 1990 (HC “Agidel”), Alexandra Kapustina 1984 (HC SKIF), Yekaterina Nikolaeva 1995 (HC “Tornado”), Svetlana Tkacheva 1984 (HC “Tornado”), Alena Khomich 1981 (HC “Agidel”), Anna Shibanova 1994 (HC “Agidel”), Anna Shchukina 1987 (HC “Tornado”).
Forwards – Lyudmila Belyakova 1994 (HC “North Star”), Diana Bulatova 1995 (HC “Dynamo” St. Petersburg), Tatiana Burina 1980 (HC “Tornado”), Alexandra Vafina 1990 (HC “Fakel”), Iya Gavrilova 1987 (HC “Tornado”), Elena Dergacheva 1995 (HC “Agidel”), Ekaterina Lebedeva 1989 (HC “Fakel”), Valeria Pavlova 1995 (HC “Tyumen Foxes”), Ekaterina Pashkevich 1972 (HC “Agidel”), Galina Skiba 1984 (HC “Tornado”), Ekaterina Smolentseva 1981 (HC “Tornado”0, Ekaterina Smolina 1988 (HC “Tornado”), Olga Sosina 1992 (HC SKIF), Anna Shokhina 1997 (HC “Tornado”), Alevtina Shtareva 1997 (HC “Tornado”)
‘Soul Sisters’ support SKA and “Spartak” St. Petersburg, the girls perform at all home games of the clubs.