Havana Back From Injury, Bringing Game To The NCAA

One of Oona Havana's biggest goals was a stunner. She scored the second goal in Finland's first ever win over Canada at the U-18 World Championships.

"It feels awesome because we didn't have a win against Canada," said Havana at the time . "Everybody worked hard and then we got a few goals. It helped us and we concentrated on every moment."

It was a moment among many that put Havana on the hockey map. She followed that performance by scoring a point per game for Kärpät in Naisten Liiga and making her senior national team debut for Finland at the 2023 World Championships.

Over the last 12 months however, she disappeared. Havana suffered an injury and did not appear in a game during the 2023-2024 season, but is back on the ice, and ready to make the jump to North American next season after announcing her commitment to play NCAA hockey for the University of Vermont.

"I'm already looking forward to leaving, and it's nice to be able to play in a new country and in a different league," Havana told Jatkoaika in a translated interview . "Here I'm used to combining studying and working out. The same everyday life continues there too, although the environment and language change. There must be great conditions there. It's also nice to get to know new teammates and students."

Vermont has a history of welcoming Finnish players with national team defender Krista Parkonnen graduating for the team last season and national team member Sini Karjalainen graduating the year prior.

"It has always been a goal or a dream that I could play in the university series in the United States," said Havana. "The idea became clear after the 2022 girls' games, when there were contacts from universities. And then in the fall of the same year, I made a final decision regarding the university."

The 2022 Naisten Liiga Scholastic Player of the Year and a 2023 Naisten Liiga second team All-Star, Havana has a high ceiling, and with a successful bounce back from her injury in the NCAA, she could soon be a key contributor for Finland's national team, and remain so for years to come.

View the original article to see embedded media.