The Philippine women’s ice hockey team absorbed a beatdown against tournament favorite and host Thailand in their debut game at the SEA Games 2025.
BANGKOK — The Philippine women’s ice hockey team kept their heads held high even as they absorbed a 13-0 beatdown at the hands of Thailand in their first game of the SEA Games 2025 at the Thailand International Ice Hockey Arena on Wednesday.
Going up against a more experienced team, the Philippines looked a beat slow — especially in the opening period where they allowed a whopping seven goals from the host nation.
But as things started to settle for the Philippines, the team slowly but surely got themselves used to the bruising play of their opponents. Though unable to score any goals of their own, they were able to keep themselves grounded on the defensive end.
After the match, team captain Bianca Cuevas noted that their steady in-game improvement in defending against Thailand is a sign of good things to come.
“You could see that every period we were getting better. So we didn’t let in too many shots in the second and third periods. I think that’s the positive thing,” Cuevas told POC Media.
Raising the standard
At the end of the day, the Philippines were overwhelming underdogs against Thailand, who compete in Division III-A of the IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Knowing the difference between their skills, alternate captain Danielle Imperial believes that there is still a shot at redemption, even if it means facing their tormentors anew in the medal rounds at the tail-end of the tournament.
“We were ready for that to be a really challenging game. You know, I think Thailand is the most skilled team that we’ve ever gone against. The last time we went up against them, the score was far worse. So this game was really just a chance to set the tone for the rest of the tournament,” she said.
“If we play against the rest of the teams the way we played against Thailand, we’re seeing them again at the end of this. So, this doesn’t take away our chances of getting the medal we want. But, yeah, it’s only up from here.”
Among the highlights of the Philippines’ game was the performance of goalie Rosalyn Lim, who was able to stop most of more than 60 shots on goal from the imposing Thais.
With the rest of the competition still ahead of them, there is still a lot to look forward to for the Filipinas.
“Our coach said so himself. This was a test of character. So from here on, we’re just gonna play as hard against all the other teams and we’ll see them again in the gold,” said Imperial.
The Philippines will take a rest day on Thursday before facing Singapore for a chance to bounce back on Friday, December 12, still at the same venue.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.