SINGAPORE, 6 December 2023 – The quarter-final line-up for the Women’s World Floorball Championships (WFC) 2023 is locked in, after a thrilling day at the OCBC Arena in which there were exhilarating contests, dramatic comebacks, and tears of joy and heartbreak. Poland overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat Germany 4-3 (overtime), while Denmark also recorded a 4-3 victory over Norway in overtime on Wednesday (6 December). Latvia and Slovakia also won their respective play-off games over Japan and hosts Singapore to reach the last eight. Finland, Switzerland, Sweden and Czech Republic qualified directly for the quarter-finals earlier this week.
The quarter-finals take place on 7 and 8 December.
The results from Dec 6 are as follows.
| Game | Score |
| Estonia v Australia (13th-16th: 1) | 5-0 |
| France v USA (13th-16th: 2) | 1-4 |
| Latvia v Japan (Play-off 3) | 8-5 |
| Norway v Denmark (Play-off 1) | 3-4 (Overtime) |
| Poland v Germany (Play-off 4) | 4-3 (Overtime) |
| Slovakia v Singapore (Play-off 2) | 11-2 |
The schedule for Dec 7 is as follows.
| OCBC Arena Hall 1 | OCBC Arena Hall 2 |
| 2pm: Estonia v USA (13th place play-off) | 1pm: Australia v France (15th place play-off) |
| 5pm: Finland v Poland (QF1) | 4pm: Norway v Germany (9th-12th: 2) |
| 8pm: Sweden v Latvia (QF2) | 8pm: Singapore v Japan (9th-12th: 1) |
Summaries of the matches and quotes from the players are available below.
Estonia 5-0 Australia
#6 Milja Alanko (16:41)
#36 Piret Puidak (17:35)
#7 Edith Parnik (31:46)
#15 Diana Klavan (37:38)
#8 Sharlote Marleen Koverik (44:34)
Estonia and Australia made a fiery start to the game, with both sides coming out aggressively from the get-go but it was Estonia who ultimately prevailed 5-0. Neither could find the net despite multiple scoring attempts until the 17th minute, when Milja Alanka swatted the ball neatly into the net. Estonia doubled their lead just 54 seconds later through Piret Puidak to go 2-0 up entering the second period.
Australia continued to press their opponents but could not find a way past. A missed penalty by Australia in the second period, coupled with goals from Edith Parnik, Diana Klavan and Sharlote Marleen Koverik, sealed the win for Estonia. Estonia face USA in the play-off for 13th place, while Australia will play France for 15th.
Quotes:
“I’m really happy with the team’s performance. I think everyone did their best and really showed that they wanted to win. I think the whole team played with a big blue heart so I’m really happy about that. (Ahead of tomorrow’s game) I think we will just try to rest to recover mentally and physically because we have had many games. I’m hoping for the win tomorrow and I believe that we can do it.” – Milja Alanko, Estonia Player of the Match
“We just wanted to leave it all out on the court, we were just trying to get more shots on and just try to get the accuracy on the shots there as well. We played for each other and I’m not sure what we could have done better, but we’re just going to leave it all out on the court tomorrow for our last match. We had a really good training camp coming into this and we had some high expectations in terms of where we placed in our pool and where we wanted to go. Unfortunately that just hasn’t been the way and it just hasn’t fallen for us this year. But we’ll just try and leave it all on the court tomorrow for our big last match and just try and grow the sport back home and hopefully be back here in the next two years.” – Shannon Barnes, Australia Player of the Match
France 1-4 USA
#6 Pauline Meneust (39:11) #10 Klara Kyrk Gere (09:52)
#8 Marie Häggström (21:28)
#57 Selma Johansson (39:03)
#57 Selma Johansson (44:19)
Both teams were evenly matched in the first few minutes until the USA were rewarded for dominating possession. Rising star Klara Kyrk Gere netted her sixth goal of the tournament, beating French goalkeeper Zuzana Kandrikova from close range. The USA doubled their lead early in the second period after Kandrikova spilled Marie Häggström’s shot. They added a third in the final minute through Selma Johansson only for France captain Pauline Meneust to pull one back 30 seconds later. Johansson then scored her second goal of the match in the opening stages of the third period to regain her side’s three-point lead. The USA will next go for 13th place against Estonia, to whom they lost 9-3 in the group stage. France are still seeking their first win at their Women’s WFC debut and will get another chance against Australia in the 15th-place play-off also on Thursday.
Quotes
“This is our first participation in the World Floorball Championships so we do not have any experience with this level of competition as compared to other teams so it was very obvious that we were missing the chances that are needed to score. Today was not our game as compared to yesterday with Australia. We were much better yesterday and hopefully, tomorrow, we will be even better as it will be a big day for us. What was missing today for us was the aggressiveness and maybe we need that for tomorrow because Australia is a powerful team. We need to take all the chances to make sure we don’t miss out on any goals. It is really incredible, the power of the supporters. Having them here is really amazing. On top of that, we have so many others at home who are sending us messages. Their support is really important to us and it is encouraging us. It is our last match tomorrow so we will need all the support we can get.” – France forward Lucie Liversain
“We did a really strong performance. The team had good spirit and we fought till the end. For me, it was a really good game and it was fun to play. For our match against Estonia, we have to be better in defence and be stronger. We also have to have the courage to go for goal. But the team spirit is really high and we’re excited to play tomorrow. It’s my fifth WFC and I love Singapore. It’s been a great time here and this one has been really fun. We’ve had a lot of activities on the side and as a group, we’ve come together really well. The matches have also been really intense and we’ve played well and developed during the tournament. Tomorrow will be our last game and spirits are high.” – Selma Johansson, USA Player of the Match
Latvia 8-5 Japan
#11 Darta Derupa (7:01) #41 Simona Grapena (12:10) #22 Zane Darsa (17:48) #59 Evelina Garbare (19:48) #41 Simona Grapena (27:44) #41 Simona Grapena (36:15) #22 Zane Darsa (38:11) #21 Marta Drille (51:42)
#19 Yu Abe (18:32)
#4 Rei Goto (22:52)
#10 Rimi Motoki (26:24) #10 Rimi Motoki (38:00) #15 Natsumi Yokota (53:09)
A strong start proved crucial for Latvia in their 8-5 victory over Japan to secure a place in the WFC 2023 quarter-finals. After quickly establishing a three-goal lead before Japan responded through forward Yu Abe, Evelina Garbare’s flick past Japan goalkeeper Miko Yamanaka made it 4-1 to Latvia at the end of the first 20 minutes. But a determined Japan side were not going to fade away quietly, as Rei Goto scored two minutes into the second period. A solo effort from teenager Rimi Motoki narrowed the deficit to one, but Latvia quickly retaliated with two goals from forward Simona Grapena. Motoki then displayed another flash of brilliance with a stunning long range shot to make the score 6-4, only for Latvia to extend their advantage to 7-4. Both teams maintained their intensity in the third period, but Latvia’s Marta Drille capitalised on a flubbed pass widen her side’s lead. Though Natsumi Yokota pulled one back for Japan in the 54th minute, Latvia were too far ahead and the final whistle sealed their spot in the last eight. They will face defending champions Sweden on Thursday (7 December), while Japan face Singapore in the placement match for 9th-12th position.
Quotes:
“I feel like we could have had a better score and we could have scored more goals, but otherwise it’s good that we won, so that’s all that matters. We just stayed calm, we had a lot of confidence and we played like we played before and we needed to score more to get back on track. Of course, our goal is to win next match but we have Sweden coming next, so we have to play well and let’s see. We’ll look at how they play and just keep a really good defence and have a fast counter-attack, and I think we can score more goals.” – Simona Grapena, Latvia forward
“The good part about the match was that we persevered and did not give up. When I scored the goals, I was feeling happy and felt that Japan could still fight for the win. We will take care of ourselves and get ready for the match tomorrow.” – Rimi Motori, Japan Player of the Match
Norway 3-4 Denmark (Overtime)
#2 Rikke Ingebrigtsli Hansen (04:32) #2 Rikke Ingebrigtsli Hansen (19:33) #2 Rikke Ingebrigtsli Hansen (46:03)
#17 Frida Josefine Keller (10:00) #18 Sara Mainz Olsson (32:05) #9 Lina Voldby (56:08)
#9 Lina Voldby (04:55 ET)
An exhilarating play-off between long-time rivals Denmark and Norway saw the former emerge victorious after trailing by a goal three times and scoring the golden goal in overtime to reach the last eight of the WFC 2023. In a topsy-turvy game at the OCBC Arena, Norway drew first blood through Rikke Ingebrigtsli Hansen after four minutes before Frida Josefine Keller equalised for Denmark six minutes later. Norway’s relentless attacking was finally rewarded as Hansen again beat Danish goalkeeper Mette Thorsager Jensen 30 seconds from time. In the second period, it was instead Denmark who laboured to equal things again and their efforts paid off through Sara Mainz Olsson’s goal after 32 minutes. Hansen’s mid-range shot struck home in the top corner to give her side the lead for the third time after six minutes in the final period. But Denmark dug deep into their bag of tricks and forward Lina Voldby’s shot flew past Norway goalkeeper Maiken Ellis as the bench got to their feet, shouting in celebration. Neither side could find a winner in regulation time, resulting in the first overtime of the tournament, in which the team who scored first would win. Perhaps fuelled by her equaliser, Voldby needed just five minutes to cut in from the flank and whip the ball into goal from distance, capping a spectacular comeback for the Danes as the Norwegians crumpled to their knees in tears. This is world No. 10 Denmark’s first victory over Norway, who are three ranks higher, since 2019 and they will be looking to carry that momentum to Friday’s quarter-final against fourth-ranked Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Norway will play Germany in the placement match for 9th-12th position on Thursday.
Quotes
“I feel pretty empty now. We’ve played some really good games against the top nations and we played Denmark today and we’ve played them a hundred times. We know them pretty well but we couldn’t win and that really hurts right now. I don’t really know what went wrong. We’ve had some really tough games and maybe we’re tired, they’ve had a lot of ball in their games in the B Division so maybe they had more confidence with the ball. We really need to set our chances. Today we only scored three goals and that’s not enough to win a game.” – Rikke Ingebrigtsli Hansen, Norway forward
“Scoring the golden goal feels amazing. After I scored the goal, it was as if time had stopped and I just looks at my teammates and was asking myself if that just happened and asking them: “Did we do it? Did we do it?” The game plan moving forward is just to put in the hard work as we did today and continue with the energy and the team spirit that we have.” – Lina Voldby, Denmark golden goal scorer
Poland 4-3 Germany (Overtime)
#9 Maja Helman (19:06) #13 Katarzyna Rajska (57:37) #22 Gabriela Wojcik (58:21) #13 Katarzyna Rajska (1:47 ET)
#18 Randi Kleerbaum (5:36) #7 Anna-Lena Best (25:22) #18 Randi Kleerbaum (32:12)
Poland clinched their quarter-final spot in dramatic fashion, clawing their way back from a 3-1 deficit against Germany to equalise in the final three minutes of play and force the game into overtime. The Germans scored first through captain Randi Kleerbaum, and though Maja Helman levelled the score at the end of the first period, it was the Germans who remained unshakeable in the second period. Forward Anna-Lena Best and Kleerbaum scored two more goals while goalkeeper Noora Holle was a fortress in goal as she thwarted the Poles’ attempts to score. With a 3-1 lead, Germany continued to execute their game plan to perfection for most of the third period as they held off an aggressive Poland side. But Poland’s tenacity paid off in the final few minutes – playing without a goalkeeper, Katarzyna Rajska and Gabriela Wojcik each scored a goal within a minute of each other to draw level. The match ended after 1 minute and 47 seconds of overtime, when Rajka pounced on a ball and, guiding it from the centre of the court, shot it into the net with deadly precision to secure the golden goal. Poland will face Finland in the quarter-finals, while Germany take on Norway for 9th to 12th place.
Quotes:
“I’m feeling really emotional now. It was a great game and the golden goal brought us to victory. I’m happy that we as a whole team can move forward and go to the quarter-finals. Even when we were 1- 3 down, we were motivated and we knew what we had to do so we just kept going until the end. We believe our coach will prepare us for the next match well. For now, we don’t know the tactics but we will for sure surprise Finland and we’ll repeat our good performance today. – Katarzyna Rajska, Poland Golden Goal Scorer
“If you’re leading for 55 minutes and then losing the game in overtime, that’s not so nice and we should have won. We have to cool down and think about why we couldn’t take the lead into 60 minutes. And then, we have to recover for tomorrow and play our game for 60 minutes and not just stop after 55 minutes because we’re getting nervous and then just give up the ball and lose it.” – Randi Kleerbaum, Germany captain
Slovakia 11-2 Singapore
#61 Kristina Belicova (16:44) #26 Jana Troskova (18:03) #30 Paulina Hudakova (24:58) #88 Kristina Hudakova (25:13) #24 Linda Pudisova (33:13) #26 Jana Troskova (43:58) #16 Lenka Cervena (51:22) #2 Alzbeta Durikova (51:50) #22 Michaela Zikavska (55:21) #6 Laura Chupekova (58:14)
#8 Siti Nurhaliza Khairul Anuar (10:16) #6 Mindy Lim (19:38)
A plucky performance from world No. 13 Singapore saw them fall 11-2 to world No. 6 Slovakia, but the home side have much to be proud of especially after a commendable first-period performance.
Forward Siti Nurhaliza Khairul Anuar picked up Jerelee Ong’s pass before slicing through the Slovakian defence and smashing home. Singapore’s WFC 2023 debutante goalkeeper Shazana Noor made some stunning saves against a persistent Slovakian side, but was ultimately beaten by Kristina Belicova’s mid range solo effort. Jana Troskova gave her side the lead shortly after, flicking Klara Grossova’s attempt to send Shazana the wrong way. But the hosts were not going down without a fight as forward Mindy Lim blasted the equaliser past Slovakia 22 seconds from time. That was the last goal scored by the hosts as Slovakia outmuscled and outran Singapore to score nine more goals and put the game to bed, setting up a quarter-final showdown with world No. 3 Switzerland. Singapore will play Japan in the play-off round for ninth to 12th place on Thursday.
Quotes
“The key takeaway from this is to take as many chances as we can and score the goals. That was what we did today. We will need to focus from this moment on. We have a whole day tomorrow to rest and recover. We do not know much about the game plan for now, but we will definitely use tomorrow well. It feels great to have won Player of the Match at such an important match but we are still focusing on our goal which is 5th place so yes, that is the focus.” – Kristina Hudakova, Slovakia Player of the Match
“We were performing really well in the first period and held them really well. Subsequently, during the second and third periods, we stuck to our coach’s game play and were trying (new things on court). Overall, the team’s spirit is really high and we’re preparing for our subsequent matches now. After the first period, we were quite shocked by our performance. There were some changes during the second and third periods as we’re trying some stuff for the subsequent matches. The coaches will fine-tune them and we’ll come back stronger. As a team, something we need to improve on is when we’re trailing, the team spirit can’t be very down. That’s something we need to work on and help each other up in times like that. If we stick to our coach’s gameplay (in our next match), we’ll be fine.” – Mindy Lim, Singapore captain
Tickets are available at https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/wfc2023. More match updates are available at https://app.floorball.sport/leagueorganizer/Magazine/92#/leagueorganizersite/92/start.
Featured Image: Whats The Plan Please