Spring and autumn 2009 was really exciting time for me.. I had hurt me knee in December 2008 while being on Team Finland's (U19) camp in Hungary.. I had a knee surgery two days before christmas. I was pretty upset and told the doctor that I need to be back on the ice for the championships IF I get choosen to be part of the team! After the surgery I had to have this huge thing on my knee for a month! It kept my whole leg straight so I couldn't bend it at all. Finally, I got it off and started going to physiotherapy and with baby steps I could walk normally again. Then the real rehabilitation started. I got a letter that told me I got accepted to be part of the Finland's National Team to represent Finland in the U19 Championships and I was playing on the team Finland White team! There were four teams (two from Canada and two from Finland). 
The tournament was taken place in Czech Republic, in Prague. The time for the tournament was really challenging in many ways. It was held 4-8.8.2009 which meant that the season had only just started so the players hadn't got many chances to get on the ice during the summer. My situation was really interesting.. There was a camp held on May but I wasn't allowed to participate on it just yet.. I got to the ice during summer maybe couple of times to try out my knee but mostly it was only skating. We had our last preparatory camp at the end of July which was pretty nervous for me since the last time I had properly been on ice was on last
December..
Suddenly it was the beginning of August and we were all gathering at the airport on the second of August. We arrived to the rainy Prague surviving from the crazy thunder storm.. All the players and staff stayed in a nice hotel Duo, about 20 minutes from the ice hall. Right next to the ice hall was this huge shopping mall where we visited couple of times after the games. :) We also had a guided tour around the city and it's most famous sights.
Ringette isn't played in Czech so we weren't expecting that many spectators.. :D We had the first game of the tournament against Team Canada East and we ended up winning 8-5! :) Second game was against Team Canada West and we won 7-5. :) So our tournament got a great start! In the evening there was a tournament opening ceremony in this amazing hotel (not the same hotel where we stayed at). We had good food and great time. :)
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| Opening ceremony |
The next morning we had a morning game against Team Finland Blue and we won it 9-2. From time to time my knee was giving me a hard time because we had so many games, but I could still play! :) Afternoon game was against Canada East, we controled the game but we couldn't score so we ended up losing our first game 3-2.
On day three we again had two games. First was against Canada West and we won it by 5-4.. In the evening game the stakes were high because it determined against who we were going to play at the semifinal. We ended up losing a very exciting game to Finland's Blue team by 5-4!! :/ so that meant that..
..right away the next morning we had our semifinal game against Team Finland Blue! We were awake from the moment the referee blowed his whistle and we scored after only 14 second was played in the game! We won the game 5-0 and started getting ready for next day's Final against Canada East!
It was Saturday morning and I woke up early and felt pretty nervous! We had a great team spirit and we made our own team Finland sunglasses which we were planning to put on when standing on the bluelines before the game during national anthems. Finland Blue had their Bronze game before us and we were cheering for them loud!! :D They won the game 3-2 and bronze medals were going to Finland!
Right before the final I was really nervous but we had a great feeling in the loccer room! The coach didn't speak long and before we noticed we were on the ice! The game was like a final should be: even, fast and exciting! After three periods (in ringette nowadays we play four periods) we were behind by one goal. But in the last period we were suddenly in 4-4, 4-5 and then in 4-6 lead when it was only one minute left in the game! I remember how long the 60 seconds were!!! When it was only 5 seconds left in the game we knew that we had it! We won the first ever played Ringette U19 CHAMPIONSHIP! The feeling was indescribable and I will never forget that feeling!
After we got our gear off we went to the shopping mall to show of the "GIRL" and also to spread ringette because everyone was asking "what did you win and what is ringette?" We got back to the hotel and went to buy something to drink.. We had a great time hanging together with the team Finland Blue in the hotel! We got a permission to go out to party but of course we had to keep in mind that we represented team Finland. We went to this HUGE bar which had at least 5 floors! The next morning it was time to go back to Finland with gold medals in our pockets!
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| It's easy for a winner to smile! |
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