Julia Liikala

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Julia Liikala
Born (2001-03-20) 20 March 2001 (age 20)
Peräseinäjoki, Finland
Height 166 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight 55 kg (121 lb; 8 st 9 lb)
Position Wing
Shoots Left
NSML team
Former teams		 HIFK Helsinki
HPK Hämeenlinna
National team  Finland
Playing career 2016–present
Medal record
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Canada

Julia Liikala (born 20 March 2001) is a Finnish ice hockey winger and member of the Finnish national ice hockey team, currently playing with Stadin Gimmat (HIFK Naiset) of the Naisten Liiga (NSML).

Playing career[]

Liikala was born and raised in Peräseinäjoki, which was merged with Seinäjoki in 2005. She began playing ice hockey with the local club, S-Kiekko, as a child. Her debut in a women's league came at age 13, in a game between and the on 7 February 2015, where she scored the sixth goal in a 10–0 whitewash.[1]

At age 16, Liikala considered joining Team Kuortane of the Kuortaneen urheilulukio in Kuortane, 42 km (26 mi) east of Seinäjoki, where a significant number of players from the Finnish national U18 team played and attended secondary school (Finnish: lukio). Ultimately, she felt that Kuortane was too close to home and opted instead to sign with HPK Kiekkonaiset and continue her studies in Hämeenlinna, 235 km (146 mi) away.[2]

International play[]

Liikala played with the Finnish national U18 team at three IIHF World Women's U18 Championships, winning a bronze medal in 2019.

Liikala was officially named to the Finnish roster for the 2020 IIHF Women's World Championship on 4 March 2020,[3] prior to the cancellation of the tournament on 7 March 2020 due to public health concerns related to COVID-19.[4][5] She previously appeared on the national team roster at all of the tournaments of the 2019–20 Women's Euro Hockey Tour.[6][7][8]

Finnish national team head coach, Pasi Mustonen, has described Liikala as having an extremely high potential of earning a roster position on the team for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ "2014–15 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 2: S-Kiekko – Kisa-Eagles". tilastopalvelu.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. ^ Teiskonlahti, Kirsi (7 November 2019). "Julia Liikala on yksi Naisleijonien tulokkaista, jonka erityinen pelikäsitys voi tehdä hänestä tulevaisuudessa tähden – matkalla menestykseen HPK-hyökkääjää neuvoo liigan ennätysnainen" (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  3. ^ Koivunen, Pertti (4 March 2020). "HPK-kaksikon kausi huipentuu MM-jäillä – Ida Karjalainen ja Julia Liikala debytoivat naisten arvokisoissa Kanadassa" (in Finnish). Hämeen Sanomat. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. ^ Malmberg, Henna (4 March 2020). "Naisleijonien MM-joukkue valittu – Sukupolven vaihdos tuo MM-joukkueeseen seitsemän ensikertalaista". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  5. ^ Steiss, Adam (7 March 2020). "Women's Worlds cancelled". IIHF. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Player Profile: Julia Liikala". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  7. ^ "EHT: 4 Nations Tournament 20.-24.8.2019, FIN: Kokoonpanot". tilastopalvelu.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  8. ^ "5 Nations Tournament 6.-10.11.2019, Dmitrov, RUS: Kokoonpanot". tilastopalvelu.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  9. ^ Virtanen, Samuli (18 November 2019). "Naisleijonien päävalmentaja tarkasti HPK:n – "Liikala ja Karjalainen potentiaalisia olympiapelaajia 2022"" (in Finnish). Hämeen Sanomat. Retrieved 22 June 2020.

External links[]

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