By Justin Flynn
Star Geelong ice hockey player Ashlie Aparicio has just finished representing Australia at the World’s Women’s Division 2B Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
The 28-year-old was best on the ice in one of the games, but Australia heartbreakingly lost the gold medal match to Iceland in an overtime shootout.
It means the Aussies will stay in the same division for the next round of world competition in 2023.
“Losing the grand final was heartbreaking, but in a penalty shoot out is even more difficult as it removes the team sport element from the game,” Ashlie said.
“But our team only conceded one goal in regular play throughout the whole tournament, compared with the 38 we scored, so our heads were still held high.”
Ashlie has been playing inline hockey for more than 20 years and has travelled throughout Europe, New Zealand and the USA representing Australia on inline skates/roller blades since she was 14.
“In 2016, I decided I wanted a new challenge and learnt how to ice skate and joined the state women’s team – Melbourne Ice,” she said.
She joined the Australian Women’s team in 2019.
Ashlie’s form during the-form tournament peaked with her performance against South Africa in which she was named player of the game.
“Every line has a different role, and our job was to be strong defensively and shut down their scoring line’s opportunities, which we did quite well,” she said.
“We also generated a lot of scoring opportunities and evolved as the tournament went on. I was honoured to receive the player of the game award in game three.
“I collected a few points in this game, but I think the award was for effort put in at both ends of the ice. It’s always easier to work hard when you have possession of the puck and an opportunity to score, but it’s what you do when you don’t have the puck like blocking shots, back checking, winning one on one battles and maintaining that pressure for an entire 60 minutes that makes the biggest difference.”
Ashlie said ice hockey is a niche sport in Australia, but that Geelong has a strong inline hockey presence.
“In Geelong, we play inline hockey, which has some similar concepts and much of the same equipment as ice hockey, but a lesser degree of contact and collision,” she said.
“Our inline hockey leagues in Geelong are one of the biggest, if not the biggest in Australia and New Zealand.”
Ashlie is Geelong born and bred, is the centre manager at Rollaway Geelong in Newtown and completed her Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science at Deakin University last year.
