In a tournament featuring a total of 13 teams, the ORT women's hockey team overcame the challenges and emerged as the tournament champion.
The final, played last Sunday, was full of all kinds of excitement.
In a passionate and hard-fought match, where a year’s worth of effort was on the line, the ORT team, led by coach Gastón Xicart, managed to defeat Lobas 1–0, adding yet another trophy to the collection at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
The team members were: Natalia Rodríguez, Micaela Reyes, Ema Marotta, Agustina López, Karin Rüting, Serrana Machado, Matilde Ayala, Analía Panizza, Mariana Del Valle, Antonella Belerati, Manuela Andrada, Agustina Arcos, Stephanie Mieldazis, Verónica Zaiter, Lucía Klappenbach, Pilar Poggio, Alfonsina Meringolo, and Florencia Amorelli.
We should also mention the players who contributed to this title throughout the year: Mikaela Skunca, Maite Barandiarán, Lucía Herbin, and Belén Parada.
Post-game reactions
At the end of the match, head coach Xicart described the victory as“a hugely significant and valuable achievement,” praising the players and team members for being a group that“inspires a desire to play and strive for more.”
The strength and determination of the players from Universidad ORT Uruguay were key to their success in this tournament, as they qualified for the Gold Cup and ultimately defeated the six best teams of the year.
In a year in which the team faced a competitive and grueling season—described by the head coach as“a very evenly matched season, with its ups and downs, where it took us a while to find our rhythm and where we’re still in the process ofdeveloping”—
The players showed great resilience, overcoming adversity and ultimately securing another title.
There's still one more to go
Next Sunday, the players from Universidad ORT Uruguay show their mettle and face another final.
The Lobas team, eager for revenge, will look to defeat the Universidad ORT Uruguay team Universidad ORT Uruguay the championship final—the last final of the year between the Gold Cup champion and the runner-up, in which ORT finished in second place.
In light of this, the head coach emphasized the importance of not letting up despite the team’s achievements. While he expressed his satisfaction with what they’ve accomplished so far, he reminded everyone that there’s still a challenge ahead: “I’m very happy with everything, but we still have one more step to take next Sunday, and we’re going for it.”