Queen Bees and Bristol Huskies were the big winners at the 2025 WNIHL Finals in Sheffield last weekend.
Slough-based Queen Bees were crowned Elite League playoff winners for a third successive year, beating league champions Solihull Vixens 2-0 in a thrilling encounter.
GB international forward Louise Adams scored both goals, the second an empty-netter, while Mackenzie Macnamara posted a 28-shot shutout at the other end.
The QBs had seen off Elite League surprise package Whitley Bay Beacons 24 hours earlier in the semi final, Adams netting a hat-trick in their 7-2 win. Solihull, meanwhile, had seven different scorers in their 7-1 semi final win over Guildford Lightning.
Bristol Huskies had the busiest workload at Sheffield, adding a promotion playoff to the end of their schedule after a successful Division 1 campaign.
The Huskies won their semi-final against Caledonia Steel Queens 2-0 with Katie Edginton and Mila Pironi on target and Gemma Davies saving all 32 shots faced.
In the Division 1 playoff final, they faced off against Swindon Topcats, who defeated Kingston Diamonds 4-1.
The final had playoff and local derby intensity, Bristol ahead 2-1 inside ten minutes. Swindon levelled at 52.30 before Becci Osman’s powerplay marker at 55.24 proved to be the championship winner.
On Bank Holiday Monday, the Huskies played their third game in as many days against Kingston’s Elite League team, who finished sixth in the top division.
Despite the Diamonds being fresher, it was Bristol who took the game to their opponent, Katie Edginton bagging a first period double for 2-0. Kingston raised their game later on, but Gemma Davies (34 saves) kept all at bay and Edginton was able to complete her hat-trick with a 58th minute empty-netter.
Bristol finish the weekend with a playoff championship and a spot in next year’s Elite League – not a bad weekend’s work!
The WNIHL 2 produced another all-southern final as Cambridge Kodiaks and Streatham Storm each won their semis 8-1.
In the final, the Kodiaks proved the stronger, with four separate scorers in a 4-1 win. It completed a trophy-laden campaign for the Cambridge club, adding the playoffs to their league and cup success.
The Under 16s competition once again showcased the incredible talent coming through the clubs.
Chelmsford Rattlesnakes fell behind early to Manchester Storm but responded with 10 unanswered goals to win their semi-final, Izabela Zdzsiesinska bagging a treble. Whitley Bay Beacons also had a hat-trick from Olivia Bath in their 5-1 success over Bristol Huskies Puppies.
Monday morning’s U16 final was a barn-burner, Beacons edging ahead but being pegged back each time, both sides backed by lively fans in the stands.
Evie-Mae Tindale, Rebecca Goldring and Olivia Bath finding the twine for Whitley, while Freya Price, Matilda Howe and Cara Jones replied for Chelmsford. Regulation time ended with the scores level at 3-3, so bonus hockey was required.
After an end-to-end start, Tindale hit the pipes for Whitley before Freya Price was sprung on a breakaway, and the coolest head in the Bauer Arena deked the goalie and slotted in the championship-winning goal 1.14 into the extra period.
In all, 13 games were played across the weekend, with hundreds of fans enjoying the action in Bauer Arena or live on the webcast.
Another successful WNIHL Finals weekend is now in the books, bringing the domestic season to a close.
WNIHL general manager Faye Andrews announced the launch of a WNIHL Hall of Fame, with Sue Parsons named as the first inductee.
A trailblazer for women’s ice hockey in the UK, Sue stands as a pioneering force in British ice hockey, whose ground-breaking work during the 1980s helped shape the future of the women’s game.
At a time when opportunities for women in the sport were nearly non-existent, Sue’s vision, determination and passion laid the foundation for generations to come.
Throughout the WNIHL Finals, Faye also continued the tradition of naming All-Stars for each division:
WNIHL U16 All-Stars
- Goalie – Sophie Ankers (Whitley)
- Defence – Kristina Powell (Chelsmford)
- Forward – Evie-Mae Tindale (Whitley)
WNIHL 2 All-Stars
- Goalie – Lilith Wright (Streatham)
- Defence – Clare Ledbury (Cambridge)
- Forward – Josie Milton (Cambridge)
WNIHL 1 All-Stars
- Goalie – Gemma Davies (Bristol)
- Defence – Becky Inker (Bristol)
- Forward – Ellie Wallace (Swindon)
WNIHL Elite All-Stars
- Goalie – Mackenzie Macnamara (Queen Bees)
- Defence – Sarah Hutchinson (Solihull)
- Forward – Louise Adams (Queen Bees)
Watch the action back
All 13 games are now available to watch on EIHtv: our official YouTube channel.
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