The Philippine Women’s ice hockey team brought home the gold after defeating home team United Arab Emirates (UAE), 2-1, in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s Hockey Challenge Cup of Asia, Division 1 at the Zayed Sports City Ice Rink in Abu Dhabi, Dubai on April 20.
Bianca Cuevas did not fail to live up to her reputation as the tournament’s top scorer, eventually being hailed Top Forward, by chipping the first point for Team Philippines nearly a minute into the game. Teammate Danielle Lourdes doubled that in the 39th minute, leaving UAE scoreless. On the opposing side, Dana Alhosani fired back with one point but was unable to follow it up to even out the points. That score by Alhosani was also Philippine goalkeeper Rosalyn Lim’s only conceded goal in the entire tournament.
After the game, Cuevas shared in an interview with Manila Bulletin Sports Online, “To score the first goal in less than a minute proved that we were in control of the game. I felt so pumped and fired up to score more. We had a lot of great scoring chances but UAE’s goalie was pretty fired up too. Before I knew it, the game is over and we won.”
The Filipina, who currently studies and plays hockey in Canada, added, “For that dream to finally be a reality after all these years, it’s surreal. To be a part of this historic event is a true honor and a great privilege. I’m beyond grateful for my teammates who I am proud to call my sisters and for our amazing, dedicated coaches. This wouldn’t be possible without them.”
In the tournament, the Filipinas swept all of their rivals by winning 10-0 over Kuwait and 5-0 over India. Because of this, the country’s representatives are now top in their division, unlike last year where they settled for bronze. They are now anticipating the Challenge Cup of Asia tournament in 2020 with their coach, Carl Montano.