Vaasan Sport Naiset

Vaasan Sport Naiset is a women’s ice hockey team based in Vaasa, Finland. They play in the Naisten Liiga, the premier women's hockey league in Finland.

This article is about the women's ice hockey team. For the men's Liiga team, see Vaasan Sport.
Vaasan Sport Naiset
CityVaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland
LeagueNaisten Liiga
Founded1983 (1983)
Home arenaVaasan Sähkö Areena
ColoursRed, black, white
     
General managerOve Kvist
Head coachMarko Haapala
CaptainPauliina Suoniemi
Parent club(s)Vaasan Sportin Juniorit Ry
Farm club(s)Hermes
Websitejuniorsport.fi

History

The women’s representative team of Vaasan Sport debuted in the Naisten SM-sarja, predecessor of the Naisten Liiga, in the 1983–84 season. Sport quickly established themselves as a competitive team, finishing in the top half of the league during their first five seasons and achieving Finnish Championship bronze in 1986. The 1988–89 season was the first time the team finished in the bottom of the league, ranking seventh of eight teams. Following the disappointing season, the team was financially relegated.

Vaasan Sport gained promotion to the SM-sarja in 1993 but the team struggled with the high level of competition and finished in last place. They were able to stave off relegation in the 1993–94 qualifiers but were unable to do so in the following season and were relegated to the Naisten I-divisioona (renamed Naisten Mestis in 2012) in 1995.[1]

In the following two decades, Vaasan Sport played in either the second-tier I-divisioona or third-tier Naisten II-divisioona (renamed Naisten Suomi-sarja in 2003). The team spent at least seven consecutive seasons in the Suomi-sarja prior to their return to the Mestis in the 2015–16 season. The return to Mestis marked a positive shift in the performance of the team and they continued to markedly improve over the ensuing seasons, culminating in their promotion to the Naisten Liiga for the 2018–19 season.[2]

Players and personnel

2020–21 roster
As of 21 November 2020[3][4]
# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
32 Sara Erkkilä D L 16 2018 Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland
11 Fanny Fagerudd F L 18 2019 Pietarsaari, Ostrobothnia, Finland
18 Jannike Gullman D R 18 2020 Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway
13 Julia Hagnäs D R 19 2019 Hyvinkää, Uusimaa, Finland
12 Wilma Hautamäki F L 16 2019 Pedersöre, Ostrobothnia, Finland
7 Johanna Hänninen (A) D L 25 2017 Jakobstad (Pietarsaari), Ostrobothnia, Finland
24 Janica Joutsi F 22 2020
17 Susanna Kupari F L 21 2020
26 Julia Kuusisto F L 14 2020
25 Neea Lehtimäki D L 19 2018 Kiukainen, Satakunta, Finland
9 Ellinor Miller F R 19 2020
20 Sanna-Lotta Myllyniemi F R 20 2018 Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland
1 Oona Mäki G L 21 2019 Seinäjoki, South Ostrobothnia, Finland
23 Saara Mäkitalo D 19 2020
31 Melisa Mörönen G L 23 2018 Alavus, South Ostrobothnia, Finland
10 Emma Pitkänen (A) F L 24 2014 Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland
14 Amanda Qvarfordt F L 17 2020
19 Emelie Qvarfordt D L 19 2020
15 Emma Salpakari D R 21 2020 Suonenjoki, North Savo, Finland
22 Sara Storbjörk F L 19 2020
8 Pauliina Suoniemi (C) F L 29 2014 Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland
30 Kiia Tuovinen (L) F L 17 2020 Haapavesi, North Ostrobothnia, Finland
21 Susanna Viitala F L 21 2019 Kokkola, Central Ostrobothnia, Finland
16 Minna Väglund F 16 2020

2020–21 coaching staff
  • Head Coach: Marko Haapala
  • Assistant Coach: Susanne Uppgård
  • Goaltending Coach: Vesa Perkiö
  • Equipment Manager: Mika Myllyniemi

Team captaincy history
  • Susanne Uppgård, 2015–2016 Mestis
  • Elina Ojala, 2016–2020
  • Pauliina Suoniemi, 2020–present

Head coaches
  • Ove Kvist, 2013–2017
  • Mika Nummi, 2017–2019
  • Marko Haapala, 2019–present

Team honours

Finnish Championship

Notable alumni

Years active with Sport listed alongside players' names.

  • Sari Krooks, 1983–1989 & 1993–94
  • Hanna Hakala, 1986–1988
  • Tiina Suominen, 1986–1988
  • Ida Kuoppala, 2017–2019

References
  1. Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto; Liiga. Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). Jääkiekkokirja 2019–2020 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti. ISSN 0784-3321. OCLC 476321083.
  2. Terhi, Varjonen (3 December 2018). "Naisten liigauntuvikko Sport tykkää vauhdista ja haasteista" (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  3. "Joukkueet: Naiset - Joukkue". Vaasan Sportin Juniorit Ry (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  4. "Liiga (W): Sport, 2020-2021 Roster". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
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