Edmonton teen part of gold medal-winning team at IIHF Women’s World Championship in Sweden
An Edmonton teen has just returned to Canada from the trip of a lifetime with a special souvenir.
Maya Serdachny was part of the U18 female hockey team that just claimed gold at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Sweden.
The squad beat the host country 10-0 in the final on Sunday.
“It was a huge crowd…a lot of people cheering against us…so it was very stressful but we learned throughout the tournament just to block out the fans and the referees. And just focus on the game,” the 17-year-old told CTV News Edmonton.
Maya took up hockey when she was only three years old.
She learned to skate with her brothers in Mill Woods, and learned about the game from her father Dan.
Her parents made the trip to Sweden to see their daughter take home the gold.
“Just watching the flag raised in Sweden, hearing the national anthem, it was absolutely fantastic. And I hope it will help Maya to continue to ascend with Hockey Canada,” Dan said.
And even though the Sweden trip has come to an end, Maya isn’t taking a break as she’s gearing up for the Canada Winter Games next month.
She’s also looking forward to a big move to Connecticut next year. She’s received an NCAA scholarship to play for the UConn Huskies women’s hockey program.
Maya has some words of advice for other young hockey players who are working toward their goals: “Just don’t ever forget about your dream, keep pushing for it…work hard as much as you can.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk.
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