Magdalena Erbenova and Lilli Friis-Hansen will compete for Czech Republic and Denmark, respectively, at 2021 Women’s World Championships in Calgary
By: Perry Laskaris, Athletics Communications Specialist —
Liz Brady ’20Lilli Friis-Hansen
TROY, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athletes Magdalena Erbenova and Lilli Friis-Hansen have been selected by their respective nations to take part in the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships, which will take place August 20-31 in Calgary, Alberta. Erbenova plays for the Czech Republic, while Friis-Hansen will suit up for Denmark.
A sophomore defenseman from Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, Erbenova has represented her country in international play during each of the last five years, serving as captain of her team during her U15 and U18 campaigns. She helped the Czechs to a tournament victory at Bosovice in 2017, with second place finishes coming in Barcelona (2019) and Lillehammer (2016).
In 22 games for the full national team, Erbenova has one goal and two assists for three points, with six penalty minutes. In 2018-19, she played for HC Pribram in the Czech Republic women’s league, tallying three goals and six assists for nine points in 12 contests.
Erbenova most recently played at Northwood School during the 2019-20 season and is a Business and Management major, who was named ECAC Hockey Academic in her first year at RPI.
A senior forward from Lyngby, Denmark, Friis-Hansen has missed just one game in her collegiate career, collecting two goals and two assists for four points in 70 contests. She has taken just two minor penalties for four minutes, with 22 shots on goal.
Friis-Hansen earned RPI’s Bob Conway Scholar Athlete Award and has been a multiple ECAC Hockey Academic selection, earning Commissioner’s List honors in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. She was also named an AHCA All-American Scholar in 2018-19. The Dean’s List honoree is a Business and Management major.
Through 73 career appearances for Denmark across multiple levels, Friis-Hansen has 50 goals and 50 assists for 100 points. She helped the team to a Silver Medal at the 2018-19 World Championships (D1A) as well as a Gold at the 2017-18 World Junior Championships (D1B), earning Best Forward honors.
Coincidentally, Czech Republic and Denmark open Pool B play by facing off against one another on August 20 at WinSports Arena (12pm). Pool play continues through August 26, with knockout stage action getting underway two days later. Erbenova and Friis-Hansen are the first from RPI to play in the competition since Josefine Hansen ’19 represented Denmark in 2018.
The IIHF World Women’s Championship, the premier international women’s ice hockey tournament, was established in 1990 with Canada as the most successful team with ten titles. During Olympic years, the Top Division has not held a tournament dating back to 2014. This year’s tournament was originally scheduled to be played Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia in May. The field also includes, the Russian Olympic Committee, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Japan, the United States and Canada.
