Alumnae look to show ice-cold composure in all-star game

Two alumnae are set to take to the ice over Easter as they form part of an international all-star women’s ice hockey squad.

Joanna Li How Cheong and Saara Lahti (pictured) are included in the 19-strong squad, alongside current student Eva Harrison. The team will face a British Universities team in an exhibition match at the IceSheffield venue at 2:30pm on Friday 19 April, which will also see the men’s teams face off at 5:15pm.

This year is the second instalment of the event, with the inaugural match last year staged as a warm-up match for the British team ahead of the 29th Winter Universiade in Russia in March. The 30th Winter Universiade will take place in Switzerland in 2021.

Joanna graduated in 2012 with a BSc in Mathematics and captains professional side, Streatham Storm, who play in the Elite Ice Hockey Women’s League, the highest level of the game in the UK. She is pictured below playing for her current University team, the Oxford Blues. Saara graduated with an MSc in Sport Management in 2017, and now plays for the University of Northumbria’s side, the Northumbria Kings.

Although Loughborough does not have an ice hockey team, the University does have a partnership with the sport. In 2016, the School of Business and Economics signed a partnership deal with Elite Ice Hockey League side, Nottingham Panthers, who were the first British team to win a major European competition in 2017. The partnership sees both the Panthers and the SBE support local charity, Action Homeless, through various sponsorship initiatives. 

Congratulations to Joanna, Saara and Eva on their achievement. 

Photo credit (top image): Charlie Johnson

Photo credit (bottom image): Simon Emm